Whispers in the Dark
by TeeBeMe
Summary: Xin has always had awful luck but she's sure the Gods are just screwing with her for shits and giggles. Out of all the things she could've hit with her car, a demon was the last thing she expected. And he's not happy about it. And he won't leave her alone. Lord give her the strength. AU GaaOC
1. Fire meet Gasoline

I'm not exactly sure when my life spiraled out of control and ended up with me being held prisoner to some psychotic demon with way too much time on his hands. Oh wait. Yes I do. The shit began spiraling out of control the moment I invited a demon into my goddamn home. Not the same psychotic demon holding me prisoner but a fuckin' demon nonetheless.

But before I get ahead of myself, let's start at the very beginning. I know, the beginning of these stories are always kind of boring but who likes a story with no beginning? Certainly not me. Okay, so my name is Hyuga Xin and I'm twenty-one. Pretty young right? Well according to those fantasy books and shit, I'm a bit old for an adventure like this. Most of the protagonists are usually young with very absent parents or just no parents in general.

My parents aren't absent. They're actually kind of clingy if I'm being honest. I mean, not that I can blame them. I was kind of a problem child growing up. It was nothing too crazy, I just rebelled a lot. We're past all that. Now they're just clingy and worried all the time. Intending to please them so they would get the hell off of my back, I went to college and got a Bachelor's degree in Business but I haven't done much with it. That drives them up a wall but at least I got that accomplished so they try not to bug me too much. I work at a bakery shop. Yeah, I know, who'd thought but I like baking so I thought why not get a job that I enjoy. Parents weren't too pleased with that but guess who's life this is? Mine.

Anyway, I was just finishing my shift at the bakery when my phone started to ring. Sighing heavily, I dug through my bottomless pit of a bag and fished out my phone. "I'm busy," I said as soon as I picked up the phone.

"No you aren't," Hanabi, my younger sister, snorted into the receiver. I wrinkled my nose at her and bumped my front door open with my hip. "Your shift ended and you're just getting home."

"Okay but can we talk about how creepy that was? What, are you clocking me or something? Got someone hiding out in the bushes in front of my apartment? Is that what you teenagers do these days?"

Again, Hanabi snorted into the phone. I decided not to point out that Mom and Dad frowned upon snorting. It wasn't ladylike or some shit like that. Maybe Hanabi has been hanging around me too much. "You're not even listening to me, you're totally zoned out," I could just hear her scowling.

"Well, yes, I tend to do that when you and the rest of the family call to bug me."

"Oh, sorry for being concerned for your well being since you never contact us. You could die for all we know."

"Die of what, Hana?"

"I don't know, inhaling too much of that cleaning product you hoard under your sink to clean your apartment fifteen different times a day with."

"Oh, well, _exuuuuse_ for preferring a clean home. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You literally tested positive for OCD. I bet you're cleaning something right now," Hanabi replied, this time with smirk. I quickly threw the sponge into the sink before I could start scrubbing the counter down after wandering into the kitchen.

"That's besides the point—"

"You totally were."

"Shit on a stick, what do you want, Hana?"

A long drawn out sigh buzzed in my ear and I rolled my eyes. My parents insisted that I was the dramatic one but clearly they've never witnessed Hanabi's dramatics. "Have you forgotten about today?" Hanabi asked, knowing full well that I obviously forgot about whatever the fuck she was bothering me with. This time I sighed and rubbed my forehead like I was dealing with some fussy five year old. I had a million things on my mind this morning when I got up from bed but I'm positive I wasn't forgetting anything. "Its Grandpa's birthday."

Oh goddammit.

"Why am I not surprised? That big head of yours is all for show. There's nothing in there but air. I told Mama she needs to have you tested but did she listen to me?"

"Oh shut the hell up, no one listens to you," I snarked back. "And sorry for actually having a life that doesn't revolve around you and the rest of our family. Some of us have actual jobs."

"Yes. At a bakery. How difficult that must be."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. The family wasn't too happy about me working at a bakery but they could all shut the hell up. I love what I do. And besides, they don't know how difficult working at bakery can be. Bakers were metal as fuck. "Grandpa barely even likes me, why do I have to come? And besides, they live out all the way in East Bubba-fuck. Who even has time for that?" I groaned into the phone, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Xin, you're the one with the cake, remember?"

I almost slapped my forehead because fuck, I did bake a cake for my Grandfather. I pushed off of the counter and hurried to the fridge, peering in to see the strawberries and champagne cake nestled on the bottom shelf. I blinked hard, forgetting that I did agree to make the cake for his birthday. They may not agree with my career choice but that didn't stop them from exploiting the fuck out of it.

"Right. I got the cake. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Bless me Father, for I am about to get several speeding tickets.

* * *

So no speeding tickets. Win for me.

Of course, once I made it out of the city limits, there was no stopping me. My Dad's parents retired to the countryside about five years ago and even though I did love them, getting all the way out here was a bitch. Not to mention all of the fuckin' wild animals just roaming around. It never bothered my grandparents but I was literally raised in the middle of the city. Excuse me for not expecting to see wild boar and bears just milling about. Or giant hornets. You ever see one of those shits? Jesus fuck.

Anyway, I was speeding down the only available road and well...what happens next is probably mostly my fault because I admit that I did kind of zone out. However, in my defense, I would like to point out that it wasn't _entirely_ my fault. Just _mostly_.

I'm speeding down the road, slightly zoned out when something blurs in front of my car. Or maybe it was already in the road and it tried to dodge out of the way of the car, I don't know but I hit it. Well, kind of. I screeched something incomprehensible and jerked the wheel to the side, cringing when the car still managed to clip the blur. I swerved, tires squealing loudly before coming to a hard halt.

"Oh my God," I uttered, hands gripping the steering wheel. "Is the cake okay?!" I yanked my seatbelt off and dove into the backseats, momentarily getting stuck because of the wide berth of my goddamn hips. Fortunately, the cake was fine. The last thing I needed was my family bitching about ruining the one job they gave me. Whatever the fuck I hit probably wasn't fine. In fact, I'm not sure what it was but I'm pretty sure it's dead. Or dying. Wow, that's probably inhumane. I struggled back into the front seat and looked out of the window, in search of whatever the fuck I hit.

I should have just continued on my merry little way but did I? Nope. Of course. Of fuckin' course not. No, my dumbass decided to get out of the car and walk a bit down the road, eyes searching for a body. I wondered if it would be a good idea to call my sisters. Or my Dad. Maybe they would know what to do. Maybe whatever I hit just wandered off to die or lick its wounds.

Just as I turned back towards my car, something darted out of the grass and body slammed me into the ground. I gasped loudly under what felt like a human's body. Jesus fuck, I hit a person. But wait a damn minute. If I did hit this person, how the fuck did they manage to tackle me? Okay, whatever, not important. What is important that I had about nine years of training in boxing. I should not be easily tackled like this. I managed to bend my knees, pressing them into my chest and my feet into the assailant's chest.

Adrenaline pulsing through my veins, I managed to heave my heavy ass attacker over me and off of the road. Gasping for breath because the motherfucker tried to choke me, I rolled over onto my hands and knees. "Are you—" I gasped for air. "Are you fuckin' serious?! I mean, yeah, I hit you but by _accident_ you asshole! Who the fuck tries to choke a person out?" I shouted in their general direction.

And then something really strange happened.

I felt something weigh down on me. Not physically, as if someone put their hands on my shoulders and pushed down. Like it was an aura or energy. I'm not sure why but it just felt so... _murderous._ Tendrils of malevolent intent pried past my teeth, curling down my throat and settling in the pit of my stomach. A feral growl sounded off somewhere but I could barely hear it since I was seemingly choking on who's knows what. I felt something in my chest all of a sudden, something tight and very... _pure._

Whatever it was suddenly burst from beneath my skin, lighting my veins on liquid fire and dispelling the evil trying to choke the shit out of me. I nearly collapsed once the feeling eroded away. I don't know what the fuck that was but there was no way in Hell I was gonna experience that shit again. The feral growling I heard earlier came to a sharp halt only to be replaced by angry words. At least I think it's angry words. It wasn't Japanese, that's for damn sure. Something in me told me not to look, to just get the fuck up and run to the car. Clearly if this was a horror movie, my stupid ass would be dead. Cause' what did I do? The complete fuckin' opposite of course. I gathered myself as much as I could and slowly looked up.

Only to see freakishly pretty eyes glaring right back at me.

Which is saying a lot because I'm convinced that my family has the prettiest eyes ever. Wait, that's not the point. The point is those pretty eyes ( _cyan, if anyone's wondering_ ) were glaring fiercely at me. I mean, if looks could kill, that would be it for me. Those eyes belonged to a tan man with wild red hair and a really pretty face. Honestly, pretty couldn't even describe this man. It was something almost supernatural about him.

And he looked like he wanted to kill me.

Before I could unleash Hell on his ass for tackling me like a fuckin' hooligan, he was up on his feet. Weird cause that was fast as fuck. He was suddenly standing over me, seemingly freakishly tall. He looked as if he would reach for me and that's when I got my ass into gear. This motherfucker just tried to choke me. No way I was gonna let his hands any where near me.

"The fuck is your problem?!" I surged to my feet with a shrill battle cry. Dad always said that I have this habit of loudly projecting myself because I'm so small. At 5'2, the world didn't quite take you serious. "Okay, I hit you with my car but what kind of psycho tries to choke someone out like that?! Why in the blue fuck were you in the middle of the goddamn road anyway?" I hissed angrily. The psycho had to be at least 6'0 but do you think that stopped me? Nope. I didn't even think about it. This guy could be some ax-murderer for all I knew.

Finally, he opened his mouth, "be silent, woman!"

My mouth fell open but my voice died somewhere in my throat. What was this, the fourteenth century? Did he really just tell me to be silent?

"You be silent!" I snapped back. "Who the fuck even says shit like that?" I growled, face turning red like a habanero pepper. If this was a cartoon, steam would be blowing out of my ears. "You know what, never-mind that! Are you hurt, do you want me to take you somewhere? Call someone?"

"Why," He began through clenched teeth. "Would I be or hurt or even need _your_ assistance?" He spat liquid acid out. I felt the beginning of a migraine pushing at my brain.

"Because, you dumb motherfucker, I just hit you with my car!" I shouted, fed up. Now that I was up close and personal with him, he seemed okay. Actually, I couldn't see anything wrong with him. He should be bleeding or walking with a limp or something but he was okay! My face twisted in confusion. Nope. Not okay. Time to get the fuck outta of there.

I took off towards my car, sneakers slapping against the pavement loudly. I dove into it, glad that I'd left the door open and slammed it shut. I made sure the car doors were locked and slowly glanced into the rear-view mirror.

He was gone.

Nope. Fuck no. That was a sign to get out of this weird ass situation. I've had and seen enough. Yes, I was wrong for hitting a person but clearly that isn't a regular ass person. I don't know what the fuck he was but I did know this is exactly how dumb girls get kidnapped, raped and murdered. I'll be fucked and feathered before that psycho makes a lampshade out of my skin.

I sped off, not looking back.

* * *

"You're late."

I struggled through the door with the big cake, trying hard to balance it. I stared blankly at my younger sister and rolled my eyes. "Would you just help me out?" I hissed at her. Hanabi took her time with helping me, smirking for a few good seconds while I struggled.

"Xin!" My other sister, Hinata, suddenly came flouncing down the stairs. Maybe it was because we were twins but Hinata and I got along famously. Despite being twins, we were polar opposites but Hinata was easily my best friend. "I was wondering when you would get here," Hinata smiled as I shoved the cake into Hanabi's hands. She stumbled back but I didn't care, embracing my sister with a smile. "Are you alright? You look a little pale," Hinata pulled back to stare at me but didn't let go of my arms. I squirmed and frowned.

"You mean more than usual? She always looks like that. You do too," Hanabi piped up while whipping by us armed with the cake. "Look who has cake!" Hanabi sung as she danced into the kitchen. The door slid shut behind her but I could hear presumably my parents and grandparents sigh in relief.

"Oh sure, like I wasn't the one who slaved over that damn cake," I commented sourly, hoping my sister would forget her concern for me.

"Xin?"

Course she couldn't forget her concern.

"I'm fine, Hinata, really. I just had a long day," I quickly said, slipping out of her hold. I knew she didn't believe me and she knew I knew just that. Before she could say anything else, the kitchen door slid open and out came Mom. She smiled brightly at the two of us.

"Xin! Finally!" She sung out while coming towards me. She wrapped her thin arms around me to hug me tightly. "It's wonderful to see you, dear," She cooed into my hair. "Come on, Kazuma-san is getting rather impatient," Mom started leading me towards the kitchen. I resisted the urge to snort and roll my eyes. My grandfather is _always_ impatient. I don't know why he's always in some kind of rush, it's not like he's getting any younger or anything.

I enjoyed spending time with my family but I couldn't get over that weird ass guy. There's no possible way a normal person could come out unscathed like that. He looked like the picture of perfect health. It was fuckin' weird.

Before long, the small gathering began to wind down until it was time to go home. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, as well as sarcastic barbs courtesy of my grouch of Grandfather. Mom lowkey threatened me to come visit her and Dad. Hanabi acted like she didn't care if I did or not but I know she does. I made plans to have lunch with Hinata and just like that, we all take off for home.

By the grace of God, I don't hit anything.

* * *

" _I always feel like..somebody's watching me,"_

I snap the radio off, glaring evilly at it. Now that was just weird. Two days had gone by since my grandpa's birthday and well...let's just say I've had the odd feeling of being watched. Hence my annoyance with the damn radio. Sighing heavily, I climb out of the car and took a minute to stare at the damage. That motherfucker walked away just fine but the same couldn't be said for my left headlight. It was busted and I had to replace it, which would cost me a pretty penny.

"What on earth happened to your car?" Hinata asked as soon as I came near our booth. She got up and leaned around the table to kiss my cheek. "I ordered you a salad and an iced tea."

"I, uh, hit something."

"What did you hit? A person?"

I let out a laugh that sounded more like a wheeze. "Don't be silly, Hinata. You know they have wild animals up around Grandpa's house. I hit something on my way up."

Hinata frowned and sat down, eyes still trained on my ruined car. "It's going to cost an awful lot to replace that headlight.."

I roughly massaged my forehead. "Tell me about it. You think Dad would lend me some money to get it fixed?"

"Why would he have to lend it to you? Wouldn't he just give it to you?"

"Yeah, okay, maybe if I was his baby or his favorite. I think he's still bitter about me not going back to school and taking that job at the bakery."

"Don't be ridiculous, Xin. You're still his daughter, he'd give it to you if you just asked."

"Dad wouldn't even give me the time of day if I asked."

Hinata only waved my words off. I was probably being a little dramatic but my relationship with our Father has been rocky since I told him I wasn't going back to school. I mean, we got along well enough but it wasn't like when I was a kid. We've both said some awful things during our last argument. "I think you should ask him. Or Mom. Maybe even Kiyone, you know you're her favorite," Hinata pointed out not unkindly. Kiyone is Mom's mom and I do get along with her the best. It's not something to brag about but I really am her favorite and maybe if I asked her, she could convince Dad to lend me the money.

"How's life, Hinata? How's school?" I asked, deciding to change the subject. Unlike me, Hinata is a full time student. She still lived at home with our parents and Hanabi and was all around a good daughter.

Hinata sighed heavily. "It's exhausting! I wish I took a break," Hinata actually slouches, which is a surprise because she never slouches. I can't help but to glance over my shoulder like our parents or grandparents would suddenly be there to slap the slouch out of her. They all had this freakish obsession over posture. I don't know how many times they smacked my back growing up.

"Dad wouldn't like that, now would he?" I rhetorically asked when my salad was finally served. You would think that working at a bakery, I'd never go hungry. I already had some weight to me, I didn't need the extra pounds. "He'd have a fuckin' conniption if you opened your mouth to say that," I absently stated while stabbing at my salad. I'd rather be eating a cheeseburger right now but whatever.

Hinata pouted and stabbed at her own salad. "I should be able to make my own decisions, I'm an adult now. And watch your mouth…" She shot me a look but I only shrugged. She looked down at my hands, noting that they were covered in bruises, cuts and bandages. "Boxing and baking is an odd mix," She stated out of nowhere.

I shrugged again, this time only one shoulder. "It gets the bills paid so I can't complain. I just have to figure out how to pay for the headlight…" I trailed thoughtlessly. Maybe it wouldn't be too expensive since it was just one headlight. It was quiet between the two of us but I didn't mind. Like I said earlier, Hinata is my best friend. Sitting quietly with her doesn't bother me at all.

"Do you think I could move in with you?"

I choke on a cucumber slice.

Hinata doesn't offer any assistance and I'm forced to beat at my damn chest until I can breath again. "Can you _what_?"

She sighed heavily, "can I move in—"

"Are you crazy?"

She only stared at me in confusion. "Don't you have that extra room?"

"I do but that's not the point! Dad didn't talk to me for the entire summer, Hinata. He just started talking to me, you remember how those awkward Sunday dinners went! For someone so old, he's petty as hell," I reminded her almost frantically. Mom insisted that even if I did move out, I should still come home to have Sunday dinners with the family. Which was fine, I guess, except Dad wouldn't even look into my direction during the entire time.

"You also made it a point to ignore him during those awkward Sunday dinners."

"Well, I'm young, I have an excuse for being petty."

"You aren't saying no, Xin but you are avoiding it."

I glared at my sister and shoved a forkful of salad into my mouth. I chewed slowly, snorting when Hinata rolled eyes. I finally swallowed only to gulp a mouthful of ice tea. "What brought this on?" I asked instead of answering to her accusation.

"You sound like Mom," Hinata uttered quietly, almost sullenly. I tilted my head to the side, wondering what was eating at her. "I have no freedom," She blurted out. "I'm twenty-one and I still have a _curfew._ They still treat me like a child! Don't you think that's ridiculous?"

"Well, I mean you are living under their roof. Their house, their rules."

"You sound like Mom!" She repeated in exasperation. I only shrugged apathetically. I don't know how many times I had that argument with my parents before I got sick and tired of it. "I can get a job and help you with your rent."

"But Hinata, you're a student. Don't you realize how tired you'll be?"

For a moment, she sits and thinks it over. It's not like I go to school but real life is kind of hard. It was easy when you had your unnecessarily wealthy parents handling everything for you. If I was still living with my parents, my car would have already been taken care of. In fact, they'd probably just buy a new one. Living on my own made me realize just how frivolous my lifestyle before was. Sure, I miss it sometimes and the thought of being damn there broke sometimes stabs at my soul a little but I wouldn't change a thing. I liked being an adult. I liked my independence.

Hinata wanted it too, I guess. "I'm tired of being treated like a kid."

I sighed and cupped my chin, chewing thoughtfully. It would be nice to have a roommate. And it's not like she'd make a terrible roommate. I knew all of her habits and she knew mine. And I guess it would be nice to have another income. Although I'm not sure where she'd find a job. Maybe at the bakery with me?

"Okay," I say slowly and she perked right up. "But only if you talk to them first," I said quickly. I didn't talk to my parents, I simply told them I was moving out. They were not pleased. To this day, Dad has not been by my apartment to see it for himself. Mom comes by every now and then. I can tell she's sad but proud of me at the same time.

A pretty smile pulls at her lips and she nodded eagerly. Dad was going to kill me.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Surprise number 2. Rewrite of Whispers in the Dark. I found a draft of one the chapters from the first story and rereading made me want to write the story again. I also have another story I've been thinking of with Gaara and Xin because I love them together so much. You guys are probably getting tired of their relationship, lol. They never meet on good terms for the first time, do they? Well, tell me what you guys think.


	2. Where'd you go?

So Dad didn't kill me but who knows when he will. And he will, mark my words. The Hyuga are known for their vicious tempers. I think Hinata might be the only one who's even-tempered. He did, however, call me to ask what the hell did I say to her. I told him the truth and that it was _her_ idea and I tried to talk her out of it. Granted I didn't try hard but A for effort, right?

To my surprise, he agreed to let her move in with me. As long as I kept any other insane ideas to myself, of course. Even though this wasn't my idea from the start but whatever. We decided she'll move in during the following weekend when there's no classes for the day. I'll also be off for the day from the bakery and it's not how I would want to spend it but it's too late now, isn't it?

I get this funny feeling as I trudge towards my apartment. The bakery was brutal today and it didn't help that I had a boxing class immediately after my shift was over. Hard-headed little twelve year olds were a pain in the ass to deal with. Why the fuck did I agree to teach that class? I really had to talk to Gai about that. I was the last person you'd put into a room with a bunch of rowdy boys.

I unlocked my front door roughly and shuffled inside. Kicking my worn sneakers off, I paused in the little hallway. Something was wrong. Slowly I reach for the metal bat I have by the door. I'm a boxer, yes, but I'm also 5'2 inches and weigh about 118 pounds. If there's someone in my house, they're getting cracked upside their head. I creep down the hallway, bat poised to either take a swing or to throw the shit at someone's face. The living room is still as I stand at the doorway. I slide my hand across the wall to flick the light on and when the room is light up, I scream bloody murder.

The motherfucker I hit with my car was standing in the middle of my living room. Oh my God, he's going to kill me. Wait a minute….

"What are you doing in my house?! Wait, no, how'd you get in here?! Better yet, how the fuck did you find me!? You owe me for fucking up my headlight!" I'm not sure why I mentioned the headlight in this sort of situation because that's the least of my worries right. I've got a 6'0 tall psychopath in my home that apparently is the Bionic Man.

He glared at me but didn't move. Are you shitting me? He's going to give me the stink eye after breaking into my fuckin' apartment. "Listen, I hit you my car. That, I didn't mean. If you hadn't been in the middle of the fuckin' road in the first place...nevermind, I hit you, apologized and even offered to take you somewhere to get help. You, on the other hand, tackled me like some American fuckin' football player and proceeded to choke me. Honestly I thought that was a bit excessive but sneaking into my apartment like this is completely out of line!"

Somehow tackling and choking me wasn't out of line? I mean, yes, it was bad but this was my goddamn home. This was a safe place for me and how the fuck did he even get in here?

Before I could say any more, he opens up his mouth. "What are you?" He snapped after a moment of silence. I squinted at him, fingers tightening around the bat. What the fuck kind of question…

"Excuse me?"

"What. Are. You?"

"You broke into my house to find out what I am? I'm a fuckin' human girl, you moron! What else? You know, I shouldn't be answering your goddamn questions. How the fuck did you find me and how did you get in here?"

"I got in here through the window."

I snorted at that. We were on the top floor. "What're you, Spider-Man?" I asked sarcastically. I lived on the top floor of the apartment. "Okay, whatever. _How_ did you find me? I hit you all the way up in the countryside. I'm smack-dab in the middle of the city."

"I followed your scent."

"Excuse me?"

This is ridiculous. This guy clearly belongs in an asylum! Climbing walls and following my scent? The fuck was this? Maybe a bad dream? I pinched my wrist but got nothing but irritated skin. Kay, not a bad dream. "Listen, motherfucker, I'm too tired for this. I don't know how you got in here or why you're here but I would appreciate it if you would just leave. Preferably through the door but if you hop out the window I won't stop you."

"I _just_ told you how I got in here," He pointed out with a scowl. "Humans….wastes of space…"

"Okay, what? Like seriously, what?" I asked, fed up. I'm at the end of my rope here, honestly. I just want a nice hot bath and my bed. Screw making dinner. "Nevermind, just get out. Door, window, magic portal to Hell, whatever, just go."

"I'm not opening a portal to Hell here."

I snorted and rolled my eyes, leaning my weight on the bat. "That was sarcasm. There's no such thing as portals to Hell," I stated tiredly. Why was I even having a conversation with this weirdo? I should've already swung the damn bat at his face. Blank faced, the redhead holds up a large hand. I duly note that his fingernails are freakishly long and sharp. They resemble jagged claws. Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

His fingers pinched together and he slowly spread them apart. I heard an odd tearing noise and then suddenly… a _rip_ appears. It's like he ripped a hole into thin air. "What the fuck…" I trailed off in bewilderment. Oh, but that's not it. Not only did he rip a hole in the air, the hole spreads until it's a large circle of bright swirling colors. Just looking at it scrambles my brain around in my head. The colors suddenly change to dark tones of red, black and yellow. An overwhelming feeling of despair and agony swallows me up and for a moment, I swear fire is licking at my skin.

If I hadn't been leaning on the bat, I would have dropped to the floor. The asshole clenched his fist and the portal receded, closing in on itself until it vanished with a small pop. For a long moment we just stared at each other. And then I threw the bat at his face with all my might. I turned around and darted into the kitchen. My hip screams in protest as I practically body-slam the counter but I ignore it to yank a kitchen knife out. Call me Michael Myers, motherfucker, because I'm about to stab a bitch.

I'm not as nearly as surprised when I turn around and he's right fuckin' there. I hold the knife up threateningly. I can't see his face in the dark and he slowly reached up to flick the kitchen light on. The blade gleamed dangerously between us and he eyed the knife, unimpressed. "And what do you think you're going to do with that?" He asked in a bemused drawl. I continued to stare at him, long and hard. Well, if push comes to shove, I think I might murder someone tonight.

"Listen here," I level the tip of the knife to his throat. "I don't know who or what the fuck you are but I don't really care at this point. I want you to back the fuck up and get the hell out of my house before I stab you. I don't know why you're here or what the hell that just was but I do know that I want no parts of it so if you could just exit stage left, that'd be much appreciated…."

The weird asshole only stared back, clearly not impressed. "I'm not leaving until I find out what the hell you are, girl," His words confused the hell out of me. My face broke with that obvious confusion.

"I _told_ you already! I'm human! What else could I possibly be? An oni with horns?" I demanded shrilly, severely fed up with this entire situation. I did not sign up for Bionic men and hellish portals to the unknown. Nope. Not at all. Sign me the fuck out. He stepped closer and only stopped when I kindly reminded him that I was holding him at knifepoint. He still didn't seem impressed with the knife. More like amused that I had the nerve to threaten him. I hit him with a car, I'm sure I could stab him if I felt threatened enough. After all, he did try to choke me.

"You _aren't_ human," He snapped back. "You purged the energy out. A normal human can't do that. I want to know what you are and how you did it."

My shoulders almost slumped but I made sure not to let my guard down. The last time I let my guard down, I got tackled and choked. It's a miracle I didn't walk away with any bruises. My back was aching though. "I don't know what you're talking about," I huffed impatiently. Obviously I was lying but hell if I would tell him that. Admitting out loud that I knew meant that I acknowledged something odd was going on. And who wants something like that? Not me. "I didn't do anything but kick you off because you were strangling me with your _hands_ , you fuckin' heathen."

The next thing I know, I'm suddenly painfully pinned against the counter. Heavy fingers curled around my throat, efficiently cutting off my airway. I thought we were past this! I sputtered under his grip, vaguely realizing that despite the fact that he was choking me, my hands were still free.

I did the only thing I could do at the moment. I swung the blade.

I black out.

What feels like seconds later, my eyes pop open. I'm sprawled out on the floor, head and throat aching. I roll over to my knees, coughing and groaning. The knife is on the floor next to me, stained with red. I reach for the blade, a ball of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. Holy shit I stabbed him. Slowly I managed to get to my feet even though the room is still kind of spinning. I'm alone in the kitchen but my nerves are erratically dancing underneath my skin. My fingers tightened around the knife. Did I actually stab a person? He tried to strangle me...that's self-defense, right?

Carefully I make my way through my apartment, looking for the psycho. I was just waiting for him to jump out a closet or some shit. Although I'm not sure he's doing much jumping since I stabbed him.

That night, I sleep with the stained knife under my pillow.

* * *

"Xin, the cookies are going to burn."

Moegi frowned as Xin blinked out of her stupor. She usually wasn't so spaced out like this. Xin hurried to the large ovens, Moegi's eyes on her the entire time. "Fuck!"

Moegi sighed softly. "Oven mitts?" She held them out helpfully. Xin snatched them away, muttering about the new burn that's sure to develop. "I hope they're not burnt. It's the last of the treats for that birthday party this weekend."

Xin is still muttering obscene curses. "I know, Mo. They're fine, see?" She grumbled while placing the tray of cookies down. Moegi didn't bother to look, knowing the cookies weren't actually burnt.

The two worked quietly, finishing up the last shift of the day. "Did someone drop you off this morning?" Moegi asked as the two began shutting everything down and clearing everything out.

Xin let out a small groan. "Yeah, I took my car into the shop for a busted headlight and it turns out I had like ten other problems."

"Bummer, you're gonna be broke for awhile."

"Well, I picked up a few extra classes at the boxing gym so I might not be dirt poor."

Moegi hummed in awe. "You're like a tank," She pointed out. "Seeing you makes me so glad my parents still support me," Moegi admitted. If Xin was offended, she didn't show it. Instead she only snorted while grabbing the inventory binder. "I mean, you're wealthy, aren't you?"

Xin paused in recording the inventory, eyebrow twitching with her annoyance. She and Moegi got along well enough but the girl often brought up Xin's family background. She wasn't exactly fond of Moegi's habit. "I'm not wealthy, Mo," She reminds her blankly. The ginger peered at the bluenette, frowning once more but nodded. She knew how prickly Xin could be about her family.

"Is someone coming to pick you up?" Moegi asked, trying to change the subject and smooth over any ruffled feathers. The last shift would end in about fifteen more minutes, at 10 o'clock. Xin usually gave her a ride home when they shared the last shift but her Dad was coming to pick her up.

"Yeah, Tenten said she'll pick me up."

"Your cousin's girlfriend?"

"Mm."

Moegi nodded along to Xin's hum. "That's nice of her. My cousin wouldn't come to pick me up, let alone their girlfriend or boyfriend. You two are really close, huh?"

Xin looked thoughtful for a moment. "We've been friends since before they were dating. She's like my best friend, besides my sister. Sometimes Neji even thinks I might steal her from him," She grinned lazily at the thought of her cousin throwing fits of jealousy. "He's such a brat sometimes…" Xin laughed softly. The last fifteen minutes flies by and the girls find themselves locking up the bakery. They go their separate ways, calling good nights to each other before sliding into the cars waiting for them.

"Hi!" Tenten chirped as soon as Xin settled in next to her. The younger girl smiled back at her and reached over to pat her best friend. "What a dull greeting! What am I, a dog?"

"Some people are tired after a full shift," Xin replied simply.

Tenten only hummed, glancing at Xin quickly and then keeping her eyes on the road. "Neji mentioned you looked a little off this morning. You look like a scared little rodent or something."

"You have such a way with words, Tenten," Xin comments blandly, unimpressed. "And I'm fine. Just didn't sleep well is all."

"Good thing Gai gave you off then, huh? Lee had your class today."

"Little bastards gave em' a hard time?"

"Well, they are _your_ kids," Tenten snorted. "They're very fond of you even though you call them little bastards all the time."

Xin sinks into the comfortable leather seat. "Well, they know what they are. Little shits," She tutted, knowing she was going to kick their asses for giving Lee such a hard time. He was such a nice guy.

"We went by the house earlier today to see Hiashi and Manami," Tenten began, glancing at Xin for the second time. Xin didn't react, it wasn't odd for the couple to visit her parents. Neji got along famously with Hiashi. "They mentioned Hina would be moving in with you."

"It wasn't my idea."

"My, defensive much?"

Xin only huffs in discontent. "I was kind of against it but I couldn't tell her no when she has the same reason I had for wanting to move out."

"Feeling trapped and treated like a little kid?"

"It gets kind of old when you're old enough to legally drink but have to be home by eleven o'clock," Xin shrugged a shoulder. "Not that Hinata really drinks but you get my point. I told her she would have to talk to them first though."

"That seems like it was a good idea. Hiashi was so horrible when you up and left. Not even Neji or Hana could lift his spirits. He was so fussy, he missed you so much," Tenten told her. Xin snorts at the thought but doesn't argue with Tenten. Manami told her similar things when she first left about Hiashi supposedly missing her. It's kind of hard to believe.

"You two gonna need help moving in?"

"Your grammar is atrocious, Tenten. And I don't know, it depends on how much stuff she brings. But I don't have an extra bed frame or mattress so most likely."

Tenten ignores Xin's jab and nods. "Neji and I will come help."

"Who needs Neji when we have you, She-Ra?"

No one is in her apartment when Tenten drops her off but she feels as if she's being watched. Xin keeps her bat close to her. It feels kind of silly to carry the bat with her from room to room but Hell if she's going to be caught off guard.

The knife is still under her pillow, still stained from the atrocity she's committed. She isn't proud of it, she _stabbed_ a _person._ Even if that person was choking her ( _again_ ), she still stabbed a human being.

But was he even human? It's silly to question something like that because what else could he be? But that portal...she didn't want to admit to it but she knows what she saw. Knows what she heard, what she felt. Her stomach twists at the memory. She wants to deny it, deny what she saw. But she knows she can't. She knows what she saw and she knows it was unnatural. She hopes that whoever that man is, he leaves her be after stabbing him. She wants no part of him or whatever wackiness that's sure to come with him.

Something eery drapes over her apartment that she decides she does not like. It's heavy and foreboding and more than once she finds herself peeking over her shoulder. It's twenty minutes to midnight when she decides to just go to bed.

Her bedroom is her favorite room of the apartment. It's rather large and she hopes Hinata won't mind the smaller bedroom. It's decorated in cool tones of gray with splashes of white and lavender. The bed is much too large for her small frame but it's the only thing she indulged in that was expensive. And besides, Tenten, Hanabi or Hinata often slept in the bed with her whenever they happened to stay over.

The knife is under one rumpled pillow and her stomach churns violently. Very carefully she neared the bed, just waiting for a hand to pop out from underneath the bed to grab her ankle and pull her under. Maybe she'd been watching too many horror movies.

But there's no clawed hand. Nothing happens but she turns to the large windows opposite of the room. The windows are large, taking up the majority of the wall. Tokyo is light up with nightlife but Xin finds no interest or comfort in it.

She goes to sleep with the feeling of eyes on her back.

* * *

A smirk pulled at Xin's plump lips as she stared at her students. They were completely defeated, sprawled out all over the spacious gym. "You little bastards deserve this after giving Lee such a hard time. I mean, honestly, he didn't deserve that!"

There's collective muttering from the group of boys. Xin only folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip to the side. "Well, class is over for today anyway. Get up and shower, come on, hurry up. Gai-sensei needs the gym next and you're sweating all over our good floors. Off with you."

"You sure weren't kidding about them, huh?" Tenten grinned widely as she followed after Xin into the women's shower. "Poor boys," She mused while Xin wrestled to get her sweaty clothes off. "They'll be nicer to Lee next time...oi, what happened to your hip? And your back?"

"I slipped when I was cleaning," Xin answered easily, hands reaching up to her neck. Now that she's watching her, Tenten is sure there's some discoloration at Xin's neck.

"What were you cleaning?"

"Cobwebs in the corner of the kitchen ceiling. I borrowed a stepladder from my landlord and slipped when I was coming down."

"And you bruised both your back and hip when you fell?"

A shrug, "I rolled."

Of course Tenten isn't convinced but she knows Xin. She is Hiashi's daughter and if it's one thing the two have in common, it's their stubborn nature. The two were particularly notorious for their behavior. Manami was exasperated with it. Luckily Hinata and Hanabi weren't as bad.

"Hinata is excited about moving in. She's even talking about getting a job," Tenten nonchalantly said after Xin was done with her shower. "I think Hiashi offered to give her a monthly allowance though."

"That sorta defeats the point, no?" Xin quirked a brow while brushing her hair. Tenten took notice that Xin made sure her shirt collar covered her neck. "She'll never learn if he just babies her like that."

Tenten nodded along to her words. "It's good to know you aren't that spoiled brat anymore, living on your own has humbled you," She said out loud. Xin's face darkened and she puffed her cheeks out. "You were awful when we were younger."

Xin busily laced up her sneakers before looking at the older brunette. "Not my fault," She said simply. She wasn't really offended, as Tenten's words did have some truth to it. Living on her own and taking care of herself without her parents' wealth or constant vigil had matured Xin. She still had her moments every now and then but she really did make a change for the better.

"Course not," Tenten's smile is wild as they leave the gym. They shout quick goodbyes to Gai and the rest of patrons milling about and duck into Tenten's car. "Have you talked to Karin lately?"

A snort rattles Xin body while she hunched in on herself in the seat. "She cursed me out when Suigetsu told her about my car. Should've known he couldn't keep that fat mouth of his shut. Next time I see him, I'm punching him in his shit."

Tenten cackled and shook her head. "Sui doesn't deserve to get his shit punched if he's fixing your car for you. And speaking of that, don't you know how to take care of a damn car?"

"You sound like Karin. Shit happens, what do you want from me?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. "What did you hit? Your headlight was completely busted."

"I'unno, a deer or some shit? You know my grandparents live up in the sticks, there's animals everywhere. Anyway, you think Hinata could work at the bakery?"

"As what, a baker?"

"Can she bake? She could handle the finances, she's good with numbers."

"Your boss would let some random girl off the street handle a job like that?"

"If she's good at it, I don't think Anko would care. As long as she doesn't have to do it. Besides, she isn't some random girl."

"Sure, make it easy for her."

"Oh shut up."

Tenten lets out a laugh and the rest of their drive to Xin's apartment is spent comfortably talking about their personal lives. Xin is delighted to hear that there's talk of Neji and Tenten moving in together.

Xin's cheerful mood is disrupted as soon as she steps foot in her apartment. For a moment, she stands at the door to peer down the hallway. Nothing comes barreling down the hall at her but a sense of unease washes over her. Her shoes come off and her bag drops loudly to the floor and still nothing happens.

The night is still relatively young so she decides to clean her apartment. There's not really any mess to clean but she still manages to spend two hours cleaning and rearranging things to her liken.

Nothing happens until she's in the kitchen, preparing dinner. A pot of boiling water is on the stove to clean the sea bass while she concentrates on cutting the ginger into thin slices. But then the air suddenly feels heavy and there's that odd ripping noise followed by a loud 'pop'.

Xin doesn't turn but she knows he's there in the kitchen with her. Her eyes study the knife in her hand before slowly looking over at the pot of boiling water. "If you try to choke me again," She begins to speak calmly despite her hands shaking. "I'll throw a pot of boiling water on you," She threatened easily. If she had the guts to stab him, she's positive that she could throw hot water on him. Perhaps then he'll stay away from her.

An amused snort broke the tense silence. Placing the knife down slowly but not out of reach, Xin slowly turned to face the intruder. "You don't believe I would?" She asked, one fist resting on her hip.

He's standing in the doorway, casually leaning against it as if he owned the place. It annoys her. Despite his casual posture, he fills out the doorway with broad shoulders and Xin suddenly feels as if the kitchen it too small. "You stabbed me once, I believe you're willing to do anything."

"Well...you were choking me. What was I supposed to do? Let you?" Xin asks rhetorically. "Hope I got you good, by the way," She sniffs snidely. In actual reality, she hopes she didn't actually get him good. In fact, she's relieved to see him alive. He might be a psycho who keeps getting into her apartment but he's still a _human being_. She might threaten to kill her friends all of the time but Lord knows she can't live with a casket on her shoulders.

Xin shook the thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to space out. There was a psycho in her kitchen. A slow smirk pulls at his lips, _nice lips_ , she notes but beats the traitorous thoughts away. "I suppose for a human girl, you got me good," He answers with a lazy shrug.

Human girl. She wonders why he insists on pointing out her humanity as if he isn't human as well. "How'd you get in here? Through the window again?"

"Portal."

"Ah."

It's quiet between the two as they stare each other down. "You keep popping up again and again so it's safe to say you won't be leaving me alone for awhile…" Xin turns back to the ginger, reaching over to turn the heat under the pot off. She continues to prepare dinner almost as if she is alone. The intruder, for whatever reason, remains silent.

"You can't keep popping up like this. My sister is moving in with me soon and how am I supposed to explain that I hit you with my car and you won't leave me alone?"

"I don't care what you do."

Xin's lips pinch in irritation. Her eyes stray to the pot on the stove. The heat was off but it was still hot enough to do some damage if her waning patience ran thin. Her fingers began drumming against the countertop and she took several deep breaths. Now wasn't the time.

"You're gonna care when I throw this fuckin' pot on you," Xin said calmly. She throws a glance over her shoulder, wondering what her next move should be. She really wouldn't know how to explain this to her sister because she still didn't understand the situation herself. A strange man just wouldn't leave her be after being nearly run over by her.Said strange man can also open hellish portals and can recover after being stabbed.

The fuck was he?

She turns once more, deciding to just suck up her skepticism, to confront her unwanted guest only to pause with her mouth opened to form a small 'o'.

He was gone.

* * *

TeeBeMe: I think Xin's point of view is pretty funny but I think it'll seem to similar to Shades of Cool so it'll be in third person for the most part. Hopefully you guys are okay with that. Anyway, read and review, let me know what you guys think.


	3. Leave me alone

The next time she saw that motherfucker, she was going to smack the living shit out of him. Popping in and out of her apartment was unacceptable. All of this Harry Houdini shit was not amusing to her. In fact, it was taking years off of her fuckin' life.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Xin blinked back into reality, eyes focusing on Karin. She stared at the redhead for a long second. "Society has trained me to say that of course I'm listening to you, for the sake of not being rude," Xin began to say. "But seeing as how I don't care about being rude to _you_ , no, I'm not listening."

Karin stared back at the smaller woman, wondering why the two were still even friends after all of this time. They constantly bickered and bantered with one another. "Why do I even put up with you?" Karin sneered at Xin.

Xin rolled her eyes and picked up a sock to throw at the redhead. "Because your washer and dryer at your apartment sucks and it's always broken. Plus, you can't cook to save your life so you come over here to bum food off of me for you and your shitty boyfriend."

Karin reached over to pinch Xin. "I can cook and he's...he's not my boyfriend…"

"Oh yeah? He's not? The fuck is he then?" Xin snorted and slapped Karin's hand away. "You two have been at this since your first year of college. What's with you and commitment?"

"Nothing. Mind your business."

"He is so wasted on you."

"Wow. You're supposed to be _my_ friend."

"Still up for debate—ow! Jesus, I'm kidding. Listen, it's _because_ I'm your friend that I'm telling you this. He's not just going to wait on you to get your shit together."

"You don't even like Sui."

"I don't like you much either."

Karin rolled her eyes and shook her head. Somehow their friendship remained intact even after all the abuse they put each other through. For one odd reason or another, their friendship just seemed to work. "So, what's been going on with you?" Karin prompted as Xin picked a shirt out of the basket. She quirked a brow at the masculine shirt, realizing it clearly didn't belong to Karin. "Drop it."

This time it was Xin's turn to roll her eyes but she conceded and simply folded the shirt. "Nothing's been going on with me, why do you ask?"

"Well besides the fact that you look like shit? Tenten and Hinata have mentioned that you've been off lately. So what's wrong with you?"

Xin rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily. "I'm fine, Karin. Jesus, I can't just be tired every now and then?"

"I didn't say you look tired. I said you look like shit. You're past looking tired. You look paranoid, what's going on?"

Xin rubbed even harder at her forehead. "Nothing is going on, honest. Sometimes being twenty-one and living completely on your own is just difficult," Xin tried to shrug nonchalantly. That was partially the truth. The responsibilities of adulthood were weighing down on her and her unwanted visitor wasn't helping.

Karin reached over and patted the girl on the shoulder. "Aw, well suck it up. No one told you to move out of your wealthy parents' house to slum it up with the rest of us. Boo-fuckin-hoo."

Xin slapped her hand away with a scowl. "See, this is why I don't tell you shit," She scowled at the older girl. "You've got one more time, Karin, I swear to God."

A smile cracked Karin's face, a snort of amusement broke past her cherry pink lips. "Alright, sorry," She warded Xin's glare away. "Maybe you should just suck your pride up and ask Hiashi for help. He's sadistic but you are his daughter so he'd be willing to help you out."

"Hell will freeze over before I ask him for help. He'd never let me live it down. I made that big deal about being able to take care of myself without his help when I left. If I go asking for help now, I'll look stupid."

"You always look stupid, it won't be any different."

"Get out."

"Okay, okay, I swear, that's it. I'm done."

They both knew she was far from done. It was silent for exactly two minutes before Karin opened her mouth once more. "Have you met anyone... _new_ lately?"

Xin stilled, hands still lightly gripping the pair of jeans. "No, why do you ask?" She asked carefully, wondering why Karin felt the need to ask something like that. Unlike Neji and Hanabi, who were both stoic and Hinata, who was almost painfully shy, Xin was very sociable and charming and easily made friends. But as of late, she had stuck to the same circle of people at the bakery and gym. Except for hitting that pyscho with her car.

Karin was still staring at her.

"No, why do you ask?"

Cherry-red eyes narrowed slowly. "I was just wondering, is all," Karin replied leisurely. She quickly folded the last bit of clothes while waiting patiently for Xin to do the same. The smaller girl made quick work of Karin's laundry and packed it neatly into the basket. Karin picked up the heavy basket, resting it against her hip while walking towards the front door.

"Any idea when Sui will fix my car?" Xin asked innocently. Karin made a noise of discontent before bending down to pinch Xin's cheek.

"It probably won't be for awhile since you fucked it up so bad. You're lucky he's such a softie when it comes to you or this shit would've cost you a pretty penny!" Karin scolded Xin, pulling harshly on her cheek.

"He's not a softie—stop that!" Xin smacked Karin's hand away to nurse her inflamed face. "He just doesn't want me to withhold food from him. Oh, which reminds me!" Xin turned and swiftly sprinted back down the hallway into the kitchen. She came back with a large plastic bowl. "Almost forget. Fudge cookies!"

Karin stared down at her with a blank expression. "Bribery?"

"...bribery."

"You're despicable."

"Take the damn cookies and get the fuck out."

* * *

"Good job on the dango, Xin. Really tasty," Anko grinned down at Xin widely. "Now what do you want?"

Xin hummed, feigning innocence. "Why do you assume I want something for you? I can't just make you a snack just because?"

"Sure you can," Anko sung. "But I know you and you don't do anything just because. So, what do you want? It's not like you to beat around the bush like this. What's up, Hyuga?"

Xin pursed her lips and wiggled in her seat. "Well, see, the thing is…" She tapped her fingernails against Anko's desktop. "My sister is moving in with me and I wanted to know if she could have a job here.." She said in almost a rush. Anko regarded her for a long time, twining some of her purple hair around her finger thoughtfully. In her other hand, she twirled the dango stick almost absently.

"Which sister? The quiet one?"

"They're both quiet."

"The younger one or your twin?"

"My twin, Hinata."

"Ah, right. She's the good one."

"I'm not good?"

"You know the answer to that so I won't bother answering," Anko shot back with a smirk. Xin snorted and leaned back into the chair. "So, can she bake?"

"Well...I don't know for sure…"

"Xin, this is a bakery."

She tried not to laugh at Anko. "I know but she could work the counter, do merchandising, or work with money. I could totally even teach her how to bake. Anything."

"Does she have experience?"

"No...but neither did I!" Xin said quickly. "And plus, she's really smart, great with numbers, can multitask," Xin paused, thinking of anything that would make Anko agree to hire Hinata. "She's very polite and professional and she would really be great!"

"Are you just saying that because she's your sister?"

Xin's expression was sheepish. "Well..yeah but all those things are true!" She insisted loudly. "Come on, Anko, Hinata is literally the better version of me. She just can't bake! Probably. I don't even know, she could surprise me."

Anko eyed the girl for a couple of minutes. "Well...she is a nice girl…" She trailed off thoughtfully. "It might be a little confusing to have twins but...tell her to come in Monday at three. She should be finished with classes by then, right?"

Xin thought about it, trying to remember Hinata's schedule for that day. "I think so, I'll let her know," She stood up while digging through her bag. "Thanks Anko, you won't regret it, I swear," Xin instantly began texting her sister, throwing out a quick goodbye while leaving the room.

Xin ducked out of _Mad Batter_ , leaving all the chaotic bustle behind. Hinata instantly replied, seemingly excited to have a job at the bakery. Xin expertly weaved through the crowded streets of Tokyo. Perhaps she didn't take her sister seriously enough when she suggested getting a job but Hinata seemed all for it. Carelessly tossing her phone into her bag, she continued on her way home. She didn't have to work at the gym and her shift at _Mad Batter_ ended early. Tenten didn't finish her classes until later today and couldn't give her a ride home. Fortunately the walk home wasn't too long.

She pursed her lips, mentally preparing herself to clean out the extra room. She hadn't gone in there much, mostly using it for storage. It was probably dusty as all hell and her skin crawled at the thought of mess. Why she didn't keep up with the room was beyond her.

Her apartment was quiet, which wasn't out of the ordinary, but now it made her somewhat paranoid. She dropped her keys into the basket by the door. Like the day before and the day before that, nothing happened but she still felt uneasy. Pushing her uneasiness to the back of her mind, she situated her bag in the closet and made her way through the apartment. Nothing jumped out at her but the feeling just wouldn't go away. Shaking her head and breathing heavily, she changed out of her clothes into a tank top and yoga pants. She wrestled her hair into a thick bun at the top of her head, vaguely wondering if she should get a haircut. Deciding against it, she hurried to the kitchen to get her cleaning supplies.

The spare room was covered in a thick layer of dust. Xin could just feel her eye twitching. She closed her eyes, trying hard to control the twitch. Nobody was really sure how or why Xin's obsessive need for cleanliness developed. Hiashi and Manami had no idea what to do with their oddball daughter every time a mess was made. She mellowed out over the years and her obsessive tantrums turned into odd little twitches every time she encountered mess. Xin cleared the room out of the random furniture stored in there. She threw open the windows, taking in a grateful gulp of clean air. Turning her phone's volume all the way up, she blasted music and started the long grueling cleanse the room was due for.

It only took an hour and thirty minutes but the room was practically shining when Xin was done. She grinned widely in satisfaction, leaning some of her weight on the mop. Tomorrow she would go shopping for Hinata's furniture. Despite Hinata insisting that she do this alone, Hiashi was giving her a small allowance to buy whatever she deemed necessary. Xin felt a little pang of jealousy at the thought. She'd been completely on her own when she left.

Before she could sink any further into her jealousy, a voice interrupted. "Has anyone ever told you that you look psychotic when you're cleaning?"

Xin screamed bloody murder and swung the mop like it was a bat. It jerked to a quick stop instead of colliding into its intended target. Clawed fingers wrapped around the mop while blank eyes peered down at Xin, bemused. "Put a goddamn bell around your neck! Fuck!" Xin screeched, not really surprised to see the redhead psycho whose name she still didn't know. She had the feeling that he would be dropping in on her before the night was over.

"Why would I put a bell around my neck?"

"Because I'm twenty-one and I'm about to have fuckin' a heart attack because the art of using a goddamn door is lost on you!" Xin snatched the mop out of his grasp with a surprising amount of strength. "What in the blue hell do you want _this_ time?" She demanded angrily, hand on her hip.

"What is your name?"

"Sorry?"

"Your name. You're not deaf, are you?"

Xin stared up at him with a blank expression. "Shouldn't you give your own name when demanding someone's name?" She asked with a hand on her hip. When he didn't reply to her, she rolled her eyes. "Will you tell me your name if I tell you mine?"

"Perhaps…"

She rolled her eyes. "Well perhaps I won't tell you mine then. I can just keep calling you the dumb motherfucker I hit with my car. Or psycho. Whichever tickles your fancy, I'm all for it."

He didn't seem amused with her careless banter. He let her know by grabbing a fistful of her tank top. He yanked her towards him, pressing her smaller body to his to snarl directly into her face, "you watch your tongue, girl."

"Oooh, I'm shaking in my socks. Would you get off of me?" She hissed back at him, dropping the mop to shove her hands against his chest. "Jesus fuck," She muttered, yanking her shirt away. "You choke me, tackle me and now you're manhandling me. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" She continued to mutter, trying to smooth out the wrinkles his freakishly large hand created.

She was so busy fussing over her wrinkled shirt, she had no time to react when he suddenly snatched her up again. A strangled gasp broke past her lips as the world whirled around her. Her teeth rattled in her mouth when he roughly slammed her against the wall. Vaguely she heard a picture frame fell off the wall from the force. "You're amusing, girl, but know your place. I tire of your sharp tongue."

Another sarcastic quip nearly left her mouth but she was struggling to breath so she wisely kept it to herself. She quickly nodded along to his words although she knew that in the future, her mouth would get her into more trouble with this man. He loosened his grip just enough to allow her to breath. Greedily she inhaled oxygen, nervous that he would tighten his grip again before she could get ahold of herself. "Oh my God," She grated out. "Choking the life out of me is not going to make me tell you my name! Not even trying to be rude or anything. Please remove your hand from my throat."

She was being genuine so he decided to humor her and slowly released her. The tiny woman scowled harshly and rubbed her throat, muttering once more to herself. He watched her through half-lidded eyes, unimpressed with all her muttering. "My name, you barbian," She muttered the insult but he heard it just fine. "My name is Xin."

"...Xin?"

"Yeah?"

"That's an...odd name," He said slowly, looking at her. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but it sure as hell wasn't that. She looked back at him, hands on her hips. She'd heard that her entire life growing up, especially when people heard her sister's regular ass names. Sometimes she wondered why her parents thought a Chinese-based name would be fitting of their daughter. There were conflicting accounts of why they chose that name. Her maternal grandparents insisted it was based off of the Chinese philosophy of having confidence or trust in another person. Her paternal grandparents said she was named after the Xin dynasty, which barely made any sense. Honestly she wished her parents would just admit that it was a random ass name they thought of on the spot. They actually hadn't been expecting twins.

Shaking the negative thoughts away, she steeled her nerve and tried not to curse him out. "It's based off of a Chinese philosophy," She shrugged, she liked that excuse more than being named after some random Chinese dynasty. "But that's besides the point. What's your name?" She tried to ask as politely as possible. If he choked her one more goddamn time, she was getting the knife out.

"Gaara."

Xin's stare became blank. "What kind of fucking—" she began but quickly snapped her mouth shut. She was within distance of those hands of his. But seriously? Gaara? That was a terrible name! What was his parents thinking when they named him that? And here she was thinking her parents were out of their minds for her name. "Uh..that's an interesting name..I guess," She mumbled while snatching the mop up.

"It's a fitting name."

"Well, your parents must be very proud," She muttered, bemused. But Xin suddenly paused, face scrunched up in confusion. "That name basically means you're a demon…"

The silence between them was agonizingly tense. Xin shifted her weight between her feet, blinking slow. Her tongue flicked out, pressing against her top lip in an odd nervous tick. "Has it dawned on you or must I help?" Gaara asked smoothly, like he was asking about the weather.

"It's not possible," She answered quietly. Hell if she would admit to it. Even though all of the signs clearly pointed to the truth, she just couldn't wrap her head around this man.

"What more do you want?" a slow smirk pulled at his lips. She wanted to punch him right in the mouth. But seeing as how she couldn't do that, she settled on the next best thing.

She panicked.

A string of curses mixed in with incoherent words made for a shrill noise, akin to a dying cat. She gripped the mop tightly and swung, catching him completely off guard when it smacked him in the face. She didn't wait to see his reaction, opting to dart out the room like the devil himself was chasing her. Hell, with her luck, maybe he actually was the devil. She was positive her metal bat wouldn't do him much harm. Unless she took him by surprise but she might have blown her chance when she smacked him with the mop. Instead she ran to the kitchen, screaming the entire time, to snatch up a knife.

When she whipped around with the knife, he was standing there looking rather amused for someone who just got assaulted with a mop. Just like the last time, she held up the knife. "You know I will stab the fuck out of you," She snapped in that same shrill voice.

"Stop screaming, girl."

"Stop calling me girl, goddamit! I told you my name and I'm twenty-one! I am not a girl!"

"You're still screaming."

"I know what the fuck I'm doing!" She screeched indignantly. Gaara stared down at the small woman, trying not to bluntly show his amusement with her antics. "Listen, that is it! I'm not doing this with you! I'm not! I didn't sign up for this bullshit! Get out of my house, you crazy motherfucker!"

One minute she was waving the knife around, the next minute her wrists were snatched up in an iron grip. The knife clattered to the floor. The color drained from her face when he leaned over her. "Stop screaming, your shrill screeches sound like a dying cat."

Xin's jaw unhinged, popping open at his words. She was at a loss for words. Her mouth snapped shut, her teeth clacking together in the otherwise silent kitchen. "What do you want from me?" She demanded tensely.

"Nothing in particular," He shrugged leisurely. Xin was almost positive a vein in her forehead was getting ready to bust. "I just want to know what you are," He stated simply. She was going to scream again. "There's something about you," He murmured, leaning in entirely too close. She tried to lean away but didn't get too far. "You're not normal and I intend to find out why."

She didn't scream but her face did turn red in frustration. "I don't what you mean but I'm human, I've said it a thousand times."

"Perhaps…" He trailed off. She was beginning to hate that word. "But you aren't _normal_. I want to know why."

Xin frowned up at him, positive that the vein she mentioned earlier was on its way to bursting. She could just feel it. Her tongue slipped out, flattening against her top lip nervously. "Demons don't exist…"

"Then explain this," if it was possible, Gaara leaned in even further. He was so close that his breath fanned across her face, tickling the bridge of her nose. Her eyes darted to the side, wondering if she could get her hands free to for reach another knife. She tried again to move backwards but only succeeded in hurting her waist. For the first time since coming across this man, she noticed just how tall he was compared to her. Granted, a lot of people were much taller than her but not to this extent. Her head didn't even reach his shoulders.

He let her wrists go, breaking her out of her frantic thoughts. He backed away, smirking in amusement. "Time's up for today," He said leisurely, confusing her. "Until next time."

She opened her mouth because what the fuck did he mean, time's up for today? Was someone keeping track of his sporadic visits? Jesus Christ, was there more psychotic motherfuckers just waiting around corners for her? Her heart couldn't take this.

While her frantic thoughts kept her occupied, Gaara made his exit in the form of a swirling portal. She only briefly glimpsed into the whirling portal and felt a balmy breeze. The smell of hot sand wafted towards her, confusing her even more. Her brief glance scrambled her brain around in her head, causing a heavy ache behind her eyelids. She closed them against her palm, trying to soothe away the pain but it really didn't help. Frustrated and ready to blame the headache on Gaara, Xin dropped her hand and opened her mouth.

But of course, he was gone.

* * *

 _Xin's P.O.V_

"I called you six times, Xin, _six times,"_ Manami huffed into the phone. I turned away from my phone to sigh heavily before turning back to the conversation. It was true that my Mother called me six times in the last hour and I hadn't answered. Guess I couldn't hear it ringing over my shrill screams.

"I'm sorry," I tried not to sigh. Manami hated it when I sighed when I talked to her. She said it felt like I didn't want to put up with her when I did that. "I was cleaning and tuned it out, you know how I get."

"Mmm.." Manami hummed in that motherly sense that she didn't believe shit I said but wouldn't bother arguing anymore. "Well, had you answered, you would have known that I would like you to stop by."

"I don't have a car right now, Mom."

"Something else you failed to tell me. I mean, honestly, I shouldn't have to hear from Neji and Tenten that my daughter wrecked her car. Why didn't you tell us?"

I resisted the sigh building behind my teeth. I didn't tell her or Hiashi because I'm an adult and I don't have to report every misfortune that befalls me to my parents like I'm still sixteen. God forbid I actually tell that to my Mother. I'm an asshole but I'd never purposely make my Mother cry. Or angry. Manami was a patient woman but she was no Buddha. "Because I'm handling it, Mom. These things happen,"'I replied evenly.

"If you told us, we could have easily taken care of it for you."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "That defeats the purpose, Mom."

Manami let out a huff of offense. "Alright," She conceded shortly. "I've sent a car to pick you up," She stated a second later. My eyebrow started to twitch. "I want to talk to you."

"We're talking right now. Like literally."

"I would like to see my daughter's face."

I almost groaned into the phone but thought better of it. "Okay, Mom, you win. I'm getting up right now to get dressed."

"Thank you," I could just hear the smile in her voice. "Don't be long. I love you."

I returned the sentiment and quickly got up to take a shower. I pulled on a pair of jeans, an okay looking blouse and met the driver at my door. I shook my head and followed him out to the car. At least it wasn't a limo. The drive to my family's house was spent in silence. I was too tired from my encounter with Gaara to even try to make small talk with our driver. He asked me more than once if I was okay and I lied easily.

I found Mom in the blue living room. My extra ass parents had more than one living room and we dubbed each room according to color. The blue living room was usually used for family gatherings. Why it was necessary was beyond me. I knew that shit was ridiculous even as a child. "There you are," Manami beamed happily while gracefully standing from the ottoman. Everything my mom did was with grace. She sneezed gracefully. "I've been waiting for you, come and sit down," She embraced me tightly before leading me to the comfortable couches. These couches were for actual use, the couches in the white living room were for show. Who the hell has a living room for show?

The abundance of wealth was suffocating.

She settled across me, fitting in perfectly with the opulent background. "I want to talk to you," She announced while folding her hands neatly in her lap. I tried not to slouch. "About Hinata moving in."

I almost sagged into the chair. "It wasn't my idea, Mom. I don't know what Dad told you but it was Hinata's idea," I said quickly. It probably wasn't okay that I was telling on Hinata but I was not going to be scolded for her idea. Best friend or not.

"I know that, darling, no one is in trouble," Manami stated in that saintly tone of hers. I only eyed her, not convinced. Those were words I was not used to hearing. I still felt like I was in trouble. "I just want to thank you for letting Hinata move in with you. I know you wanted to move out to get away from us…."

It wasn't my family in particular. It was the wealth, the reputation and the expectations that I wanted to get away from. It was the Hyuga name I was desperate to get away from.

"I'm proud of you, honey. I was terrified when you flew out of here with your apartment already set up. You're barely an adult and you were so used to us taking care of everything for you. We were sure you would be back before the month was up." Nice to know my family didn't have any faith in me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "You proved us wrong and I suppose that influenced your sister to also want to branch out and take care of herself. I hope Hanabi takes the same initiative to move out when the time calls for it."

Well this is a new development.

"You _want_ Hana to move out?"

"Well, I don't want any of you to move out," Manami shifted in her seat. "But I know that every parent has to deal with their children moving out at some point. I just figured you and your sisters would do that later on."

I nodded slowly. "It's not that I hated living here with you all. I just..I wanted to be my own person and I couldn't do that living here."

"I understand. I was young once too," She unfolded her hands only to fold them again together. "But I didn't leave until I was set to marry your father in my mid-twenties. I'm..glad that you didn't let us control your life."

Well I'll be damned. Was I actually being praised for being rebellious? That was a new one.

Manami smiled brilliantly. "I know it's hard to believe but your father and sisters talk about you all the time," She told me while reaching over to pat me on the knee. Hearing that my sisters talked about me wasn't all that surprising. Well, Hanabi talking about me meant she was probably talking shit. Or giving me backhanded compliments. But Hiashi talking about me was kind of weird. We barely spoke to each other so why he would praise me when I'm gone is kind of weird. But then again, this is coming from a man with more than one living room so I'm not that shocked. He's weird. They're all weird in their special ways but Hiashi was probably that weirdest .

"He's very proud of you, darling. He just doesn't know how to show it, believe me," Manami smiled knowingly. My father was emotionally stunted and his parents probably should have stuck his ass in therapy when he was a kid. It probably would have done all of us some good if Hiashi was a normal person.

Before I could comment on her words, Hiashi stepped into the living room. He paused at the sight of me, raising one brown brow slowly. It wasn't often that I came around anymore. Not since we'd had that big fight. "Xin," Hiashi greeted slowly, looking at Manami with confusion. Manami just smiled and offered no other assistance. "I was unaware that you were here visiting," He stated in a careful voice.

"Mom didn't really give me a choice in the matter," I replied with a shrug. "How are you, Dad?" I tried my hand at being civil. This was still his house and it would be awfully rude of me to just act like he wasn't there.

"I'm fine, Xin, and yourself?"

"I guess I can't complain," I almost rubbed the back of my neck nervously. It would have been rude to do so, I guess. I don't know, I didn't pay a lot of attention in those etiquette classes growing up.

He nodded slowly, eyes studying me. Silently his gaze shifted towards Manami. They must have had some sort of telepathic link because it seemed like they had a private conversation with just their eyes. Must have gotten that down pact from all the years of being married. "I was just telling Xin about Hinata being excited to move in together," Manami chimed in when the silence began to get awkward. "I also wanted to ask her if she needed anything, you know she's been having car troubles as of late."

Oh my God, Mom, shut up.

"Yes, Neji and Tenten might have mentioned something about your car," Hiashi commented simply. "What happened to your car, Xin?" He looked at me. I tried not to grimace, waiting for the lecture about how I needed to be more responsible.

"I hit a deer coming up to Grandpa's and busted a headlight. I took it in to get it replaced and had a million other things wrong with it," I explained shortly. "I never knew maintaining a car could be so hard."

Hiashi nodded along to my words. "Will it cost you a lot to repair it?" He asked. He probably only wanted to know just so he could rub that shit in my face. He knew damn well it would cost a lot to get the shit fixed. This is what I meant when I said he was too damn old to be this petty.

I shrugged leisurely, "Suigetsu decided to give me a discount. It's not as bad as it could have been."

Hiashi made a noise in his throat that kind of sounded like a sound of approval. I wasn't completely useless in the world. One thing I thing I learned as the daughter of a business tycoon was that you always needed connections. Luckily my connection just wanted food in compensation.

"Is he still dating that Uzumaki girl?" Manami asked.

"More or less," again, I shrugged. I really didn't understand Karin and Suigetsu's relationship. But then again, it wasn't mine to understand. Karin usually told me to just mind my damn business and worry about my single status. She's such a bitch sometimes.

Manami frowned, probably disapproving of their sinful way of living or some shit, who knows. It's none of my damn business. "You cleaned that extra room out for your sister, yes?" She prompted after a moment of silence. I quietly wondered why Hiashi hadn't left the room already.

"I set her up to meet with my boss on Monday. I know you guys probably don't want her to work in a bakery but it was the quickest and easiest interview I could get. Nothing is free out there," I commented casually. "She seemed excited about it."

Manami nodded but she looked distracted. "Are you alright, Xin?" Hiashi suddenly asked, catching me off guard. They were both staring at me, looks of concern mixing in with an odd look I couldn't describe.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Why does everyone keep asking that?

"You look tired," Hiashi replied simply.

"I'm always tired."

Manami looked really concerned. "Neji and Tenten say you have been acting out of sorts as of late. Is there anything.. _out of the ordinary_ happening?" She spoke like she carefully recited that question in her head for a minute before asking me. The way she asked really made my skin crawl. Does hitting a man who turned out to be a demon count as out of the ordinary? Does demons existing count as out of the ordinary? Or witnessing said demon conjure up a portal out of thin air? Or how about being antagonized by said demon? Did any of that seem out of the ordinary?

"Nah, nothing out of the ordinary that I can think of. Just normal grievances any twenty-one year old would go through," I said instead. No one would believe me if I told them I was dealing with an actual fuckin' demon. I barely believed me. "Tired and broke."

"And single," Manami pointed out. "Honestly, dear, you're not getting any younger," She continued in a concerned voice. Hiashi chose that moment to leave. No way was he going to sit through his daughter's dating history. My dating history is already sucky as it is but with my new guest, I doubt I'm actually going to find someone to date me. That's completely out of the window.

"Hinata and Hana are still single too," I reminded her grimly.

"Hanabi is still in high school and Hinata is in college, they don't have time for dating at the moment."

"Oh but I do?" I sourly asked. "I'm still just as busy, Mama. I work two jobs basically."

"You're right, dear. I'm only saying you might want something else to do with your time."

"You mean _someone_ to _do_."

"Don't be crass, dear."

I waved her words off and sat back into the couch. I almost started to slouch but caught her pointed look. "I don't need a relationship right now, Mom. Really, I'm fine. I don't want a boyfriend. They're too much work."

A suspicious look crossed her face. "...perhaps a girlfriend then?"

"Oh dear God."

"Really, Xin, if _that's_ what's stopping you from dating then you should stop worrying. Your father and I will approve of anyone you bring home."

"As great as that is, I'm not gay. But I'm proud that you're so open to homosexuality, awesome, really but I don't like girls. I don't like anyone, Mom."

"Oh how would you know unless you get out there and socialize? You barely spend time with your friends. You'll never meet an upstanding fellow— _or young lady_ —if you keep to that gym and bakery of yours."

I dropped my face into my hands. "Mooo _oooooom_ ," I groaned into my palms. "You're not listening to me at all. I re _alllllly_ don't want a relationship. I'm not relationship material," I said blankly. Which was true. I did date in high school and my first year or college but it never turned out quite right. Boys didn't like intimidating girls and apparently for someone so short, I was as intimidating as they come. Probably had something to do with my temper. Being the daughter of an infamously vicious business tycoon didn't help either. Although I was known as the daughter my parents didn't care about so boys always thought I was looking to piss them off by dating around.

Too bad I was as frigid as the Artic Ocean.

Manami looked like she wanted to argue but thought better of it. "It's getting late, honey. I should send you back now, unless you'd like to stay the night? We've certainly the room," She said not unkindly. Yes because for some odd reason it was fitting to have a manor the size of Africa with a billion rooms for a family of five. The wealth was suffocating, I swear to God. I mean, honestly, who did we think we were? The royal family?

"No, I should get back home and finish cleaning up the rest of the apartment. You know I hate mess."

"You hate everything, dear."

"Yes but mess is at the top of my hate list."

Mamani laughed and gathered me into a hug once we both stood. She led me to the front door and hugged me again and even added some kisses against my forehead and cheeks. "Please, dear, don't be a stranger. Just because you moved out doesn't mean you can't come to visit. I miss you so much."

I suppose it's true when they say you don't really know what you have until it's gone.

* * *

"Hinata, for God's sake, that is too expensive."

Hinata frowned thoughtfully while looking up from the amoire. "But it's so nice," She pointed out. "And you didn't even look at the price."

I leaned around my sister, glancing at the pricetag. "It's 2,000 dollars, Hinata, oh my God," I gaped in utter disbelief. I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the expensive ass piece of furniture.

"Mom and Dad gave me more than enough," Hinata reminded me simply. I tried not to roll my eyes. Just a year ago I probably would have said the same shit. But this isn't a year ago. This is now and I'm broke as fuck so anything obnoxiously expensive is a no go.

"We already picked out a dresser so you don't even need that shit as it is. And as for money, it has a tendency to run out pretty fast. Moving out of your parents house but still depending on them financially defeats the purpose, sis."

Hinata tried not to pout. "Fair enough," She agreed easily. "But I think I should be able to splurge on an expensive bed at least."

"That sounds fair," I nodded along to her words. Hinata and I casually weaved through the furniture store, picking out the essentials for her move in. It was true that Mom and Dad gave Hinata enough money to buy the damn store but that would defeat the purpose. I gave her a budget to work with, something she found odd by tried to abide by it. I found the shit odd at first too. Then I discovered the feeling of being broke. Not a nice concept.

"You should try to save the money left over. Who knows, maybe a gig at the bakery won't go so well," I explained while picking through bedsheets. "It's always good to save for a rainy day. Plus, clothes ain't cheap. And neither is food. Well food can be cheap but the cheap stuff will usually turn your insides out and who wants that?"

Hinata soaked all the information in with an air of determination. She was dedicated, I'll give her that. Besides, it's not like I can fault her. We picked more furniture out and finished shopping without spending too much money. Knowing my parents and knowing how I thrifted, we probably hadn't put a dent in the money given to her. We made it back to my apartment just as Tenten, Suigetsu and Karin showed up. "Where's Neji?" I asked while approaching them. He and Suigetsu agreed to help out with all the heavy lifting while Tenten and Karin would help with the lighter stuff. The new furniture was beginning to arrive and I didn't want to wait around for my cousin.

"Couldn't make it," Tenten shrugged. "He has a paper to finish," She explained simply. I huffed and folded my arms across my chest. How the hell were we supposed to get all the heavy stuff lifted with just Suigetsu? Way to ruin someone's day, Neji.

"Don't worry," Karin hummed from beside Hinata. Hinata was speaking to the movers, instructing them to set the furniture down. "Tenten and I can help Sui. You and Hina just handle all the light stuff," She planned. I frowned at her, well what the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"Wouldn't want to damage those pretty hands of yer's," Suigetsu grinned and grabbed at my hands. He scanned them, taking notice of the cuts and bruises littering my pale hands. "Well, too late for ya, huh? S'okay though, yer face makes up for it."

Inrolled my eyes and snatched my hands away to slap at his arm. "Fuck off, Sui," I scowled at him. So my hands were a little fucked. But that just showed how I didn't give up after making mistakes, right? At least that's what Gai always said about the cuts and bruises.

"Be serious for once," Karin shoved her way between us. "Come on, we're not just standing around for our health. Let's get the heavy stuff up first."

I folded my arms and moved out of the way, nodding my head at Hinata to follow suit. She moved to stand next to me, both of us with different degrees of interest printed all over our faces. Was Karin and Tenten really going to move that shit with just Suigetsu? I mean, Tenten was pretty damn strong and Karin had a mean punch but I'm not sure if this was the best idea. To our disbelief, the three seemingly easily lifted the heavy furniture. "Well what the fuck," I held up my hand in the universal sign for _'the fuck?'._

"That was unexpected," Hinata said.

"Really unexpected," I agreed.

Deciding to put the odd sight in the corner of my mind for later, Hinata and I quickly began picking up the significantly lighter stuff. Between the five of us, we got Hinata's room set up pretty easily. I stood in the doorway of the room, looking to see if anything was out of place. "Is it to your liking?" Hinata smiled wryly as she spun around the room. I snorted and rolled my eyes, it wasn't my room to like. Out in the living room, I could hear the others bickering about what video game to play.

"Doesn't matter if I like it. Do you like it?" I asked pointedly. "I know your room back home is a lot bigger than this..." I trailed off, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of my apartment. I mean, it was nice, I'd like to think. I wondered why Hinata didn't just ask our parents to rent an apartment for her. They could easily afford one of the more lavish, upscale apartments in in Azabu or Hiroo. But then that would defeat the purpose since the whole point was for her to not depend on them.

Hinata surveyed the room, her wry smile morphing into a smile of content. "It's wonderful, I love it. It's...me, Xin. This is me. I picked everything out, not Mom or Dad. I picked it out in what color I wanted and put it where I wanted it," She folded her hands graciously in front of chest. "This is the best choice I made. I know it's going to be difficult and different from how we were brought up but I think I'll be okay— _we'll_ be okay."

For a good couple of seconds, I was speechless.

A knock at the door distracted me long enough. I blinked and turned to look down the hall. "Oh, it must be the food," I muttered distractedly. "You get settled in," I waved her off to do whatever she wanted in her room. Hinata wasn't really big on video games so she opted to sit out of our gathering. Usually I would have pressured her into joining us but decided to leave her alone. Just for tonight. Next time she was going to join in on the festivities.

"Food!" I declared after paying the delivery boy. I balanced the three boxes with one arm and bumped the door shut with my hip. The trio cheered when I came into the living room with the boxes. Dropping the boxes off, I hurried back to the kitchen to grab soda, cups, plates and napkins. "You guys know the rules," I said while coming back. "Don't get stains my shit. You know I hate stains," I reminded them while passing out the food. I threw a water bottle at the side of Suigetsu's head just for shits and giggles.

I was so wrapped up with my friends that I'd forgotten all about Gaara.

For now. Lord knows the motherfucker will be back.

* * *

TeeBeMe:hey yall. I know I said this wouldn't be primarily in Xin's point of view and it won't. But every now and then it will for the simple fact that I think she's hilarious. I also think she'd have a hilarious relationship with Karin and Suigetsu, so BAM, here they are.

fatjack36: they're totally my favorite too! hopefully they'll be around for more stories.

marinaa07: bruh, I know I say it a lot but I'm so glad that you consider her one of your favorites despite her being an OC. OCs are scary as fuck to write sometimes. I'm really glad that reading Shades of Cool has made you open to reading this story even though it's set in present time. And listen listen, there's no such thing as long rants, really! I love them just as much as I love regular length reviews and short ones. All love is good love! It's much appreciated. And don't worry about offending me at all unless you say you hate Xin, then I'd be offended lol. Thank you, really, I'm so glad to see you on board with this story as well!

Akari: You're right about her granny the first time around. And Xin really is a big contradiction, I think that's one of the reasons why she's so fun to write. She swears up and down that she hates everyone but she's actually a very caring woman, no matter what AU it's set it. That's just how Xinny is. So glad you're also on board with this story but you've always been very supportive of my fics. I wonder if there will ever be a fic that you won't like lol. I'd cry.

SoberThoughts: Why thank you! It's very appreciated but this will jump back between third person and first person from time to time. Just to keep things interesting for all characters, not just Xin.

moonlight46: Sorry for such a late review but I hope you enjoyed this update!

Guest: Glad you think she's hilarious! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Somebody's watching me

Anko gave Hinata the job. It didn't really surprise Xin, her sister was a really sweet woman. But she's pretty sure Anko didn't really interview Hinata. It probably took one genuine smile and a polite 'hello' for Anko to hand the job over. It was only a job working as a cashier and the counter but it was a start. Hinata was a quick learner and Xin had every intention of teaching her how to bake at some point. But for now, working the register was just fine. The customers loved the idea of quirky twins working at a quirky bakery. The regulars were amazed that Xin had a twin sister she never mentioned. She found that odd. Did they think she'd walk around announcing that she had a twin sister? Or maybe she would slap a sticker on her forehead that read, ' **I have a twin sister** '.

Hinata's settlement into average life was less bumpier than her own. She didn't make the same mistakes Xin made early on, Xin made sure of that. It helped that Hinata was eager to learn how to live normally. If Xin hadn't grown up with Hinata, she'd be shocked that she was from a wealthy background. Oddly enough, there was no sign of Xin's demonic visitor. It was almost as if he didn't exist in the first place. Xin wished that was the case but the fact that her car was still fucked up because of him reminded her that he did exist. Besides, she had that lump on the back of her head from him slamming her into the wall like some heathen. She hoped nothing happened to him..

"Is everything okay?" Hinata asked her on a Wednesday morning. Xin blinked out of her stupor and looked down at her plate of pancakes. Did she just zone out and worry for a fuckin' person that wasn't supoosed to _exist_?

No. No the fuck she did not.

"Everything is fine," She replied simply. "Just spaced out for a second. What are you up to today?" She quickly changed the subject. How the fuck was she supposed to explain she'd been thinking about that psycho? She wasn't.

"I have morning classes," Hinata sighed heavily. Xin only smiled in wry amusement. "And then I have a shift at the bakery at two," Hinata seemed more excited about that, which had Xin chuckling. Leave it to her sister to be excited to go to work.

"That means you're closing the bakery, yeah?"

"Yes although Anko-san she would stay late as well."

Xin made a noise in her throat. "How are you getting home?" Xin asked slowly. Hinata didn't really drive. She learned how to and was licensed to drive but she mostly depended on their family's chauffeur. Xin wondered if their parents would buy Hinata a car now that she was supposed to be out on her own. She wouldn't put it past her parents to do so even though they weren't supposed to. It would probably be a nice car too.

"Neji offered to drive me home," Hinata replied with a smile. Her smile was contagious, causing a wan smile to pull at Xin's lips. Even if her family treated them differently, Xin never had an ill-will towards her sister. They were best friends and Xin loved her fiercely but she knew their parents favored Hinata over her. Maybe if her sister was more of an asshole it would be easier to dislike her.

"That's nice of him," Xin finished the last of her breakfast and got up. She washed the dirtied dishes and then took a deep breath. "I have an early session, I'll walk you to campus," She offered with a smile. Hinata gave her a grateful look and followed her out of the kitchen.

"...personally I thought the colors were atrocious and clashed but she was the bride so I did what she wanted. Ugliest cake I've ever seen though," Xin chattered as the sisters made their way down to the front lobby. An odd feeling settled in the pit of her stomach but she ignored it. "It looked like Princess Peach threw acid up on it," Xin bumped the door open with her hip.

Xin turned and promptly ran face first into someone's chest. Large hands clasped her shoulders, stopping her from tumbling over. For a second she didn't move. Behind her, Hinata gasped lightly.

If she took a step back and it was Gaara, she was going to have a damn conniption.

Hinata grabbed the back of Xin's tank top and yanked her away, forcing Xin to look up at whoever she bumped into. A tall man with a dark brown ponytail and light brown eyes stared down at her. Xin wasn't sure if she was relieved or not but that feeling she ignored earlier sank even lower. "Uh, sorry," Xin took a step back, pressing her back tightly into Hinata's chest. Although she wasn't sure if she should really apologize. Who the fuck stands in the front of a public doorway like that? What did he really expect? And did his eyes just flicker? Hinata's grip on her tank top tightened.

"Wasn't your fault," He spoke with a hint of an accent. Xin couldn't place it though. He blatantly stared her down. "I was spaced out. It was my fault."

Hell yeah it was his fault.

Xin grimaced through a smile and deftly stepped around the man, pulling Hinata with her. "Well now that we figured that out, we'll be on our way. Have a good day, sir," Xin said quickly.

"Did you know that guy?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Maybe he lives in the building. He was staring at you really hard."

"Eh," Xin shrugged leisurely. "Not my type."

"What's your type?"

For some odd reason she couldn't explain, Gaara popped into her mind. Her face flushed and she scowled in annoyance. There's no way in Hell Gaara was her type. That motherfucker wasn't even human. "I don't know but it's not him. His hair is too long."

Hinata laughed softly at her sister's words. "That's hardly a reason."

"Well, I don't like morons who stand in public doorways," Xin shrugged her shoulders as they strayed off towards the campus. "I hope Sui hurrys the fuck up with my car. Walking everywhere and depending on others sucks. I can't stand this shit."

"It's not that bad. Walking is good for you," Hinata pointed out helpfully. She veered closer to her sister as they approached the thick bustle of Japan's crowded streets. Xin easily weaved through the throng, smiling softly when Hinata caught onto her arm.

"You'll be changing that tune when we have to go shopping for food," Xin grinned. The rest of their walk was spent with them discussing little odds and ends of their lives. Xin dropped Hinata off at the campus, waving as she made her way to the gym. The day was uneventful, not that it bothered Xin. With Gaara giving her heart attacks and Hinata moving in, Xin welcomed a boring day. Her boxing class ended with no problems and finding herself with nothing to do, Xin wandered towards the bakery.

"Welcome!" Hinata greeted cheerfully as soon as she heard the bell chime. "Oh, it's Xin," She offered her twin a sweet smile as Xin sidled up to the counter. The _Mad Batter_ was decorated in bright, funky colors that easily caught the eye. The glass display that Hinata stood behind was filled to the brim with brightly decorated desserts that was mostly Xin's doing.

"What're you doing here, Hyuga?" Anko came from the back, looking somewhat frustrated. Xin only smiled at her boss. Maybe it was that new baker Anko recently hired that was frustrating her. It didn't take much to get under the older woman's skin.

"My shift at _Primary Lotus_ ended and I have nothing else to do so I decided to grace you with my presence."

"How unfortunate for us."

Xin flipped her boss off, ignoring Anko's laughter as she swept by towards her office. Xin leaned on the counter, smiling at her sister. "How are you doing so far, sis?"

"Well, it got a little overwhelming just a little while ago but I think I handled it okay," Hinata confessed sheepishly.

Xin grinned proudly. "You're a people-person so I'm not shocked. Do you think you'd want to learn how to bake? Bakers make more than cashiers."

Hinata looked thoughtful. "I suppose it would be a good idea. I'm sure I can't live off a cashier's salary forever," Hinata smiled playfully.

"You're getting paid pretty well for a cashier. Anko is so fleeting with money," Xin snorted while looking into the display case. "You think I can get a discount for one of these? I did make most of them.."

"Nope!" Anko called from the back. "You pay full price when you're off duty!"

Xin rolled her eyes and shook her head. The door chimed again, promptly Hinata warmly welcome the next customer. "Can I have a red bean bun, a coffee roll and a chocolate cornet?" She pointed at each dessert with a smile. "Oh and a fruit punch."

Hinata read her total and gave her the exact change. "That's a lot of sugar, Xin," She reminded her sister while picking up the desserts. "You'll ruin your appetite."

Xin shrugged and took the parcel and drink from her sister. "I usually don't indulge too often in sweets. I'll be fine by the time you get home," She moved to the side, walking towards one of the tables spread about the large bakery. Hinata quickly handled the other customer. Xin took immediate notice as the other patron settled to a table close to her. It was a young woman, maybe around Xin's age, and she was facing Xin. She had long dark brown hair and eyes to match. Xin didn't pay the girl much mind but she did notice that the girl kept looking up at her.

She was probably just realizing that she and Hinata were twins. People often did that once they realized they were seeing the exact same face for a second time. She wasn't really sure why, it wasn't like twins didn't exist but people still insisted on doing a double take when they saw them in the same room. Even so, the woman kept staring at her. It was to the point that Xin was sure it had nothing to do with being twins. She was staring for some other reason and it was getting on Xin's nerves.

"Are you okay, miss?" She asked, staring straight into the woman's eyes. Xin was never one to hold her tongue, even if she knew it would get her in trouble. "You've been staring since you sat down," She pointed out flatly. The brunette blinked like she was surprised Xin would call her out on her staring. Who wanted to be stared at while they're eating anyway?

"Oh…" the brunette trailed off. "I didn't realize I was staring," She admitted but didn't apologize for staring. Xin guessed she could have pushed the issue but decided to leave it at that. She finished the rest of her sweets and then got up to leave, shouting a quick goodbye to Hinata and Anko. The brunette watched her go, eyes slightly squinted as they followed Xin's path out the door. As soon as Xin left, a man swept in the bakery and towards the brunette. He sat down heavily, frowning all the while. It turned out to be the man Xin bumped into earlier that morning. "Anything?" the brunette prompted after a silent second.

"I tracked him down to an apartment building but he wasn't there," the man rubbed his jaw tiredly. "His scent ends there so he's probably using portals to travel between here and Suna."

The brunette frowned thoughtfully. "I suddenly caught a trace of his scent and followed it here. It turned out to be some girl.."

The man with the ponytail seemingly perked up. "Short woman, pale skin and dark blue hair?"

His companion frowned, tilting her head to the side. "How did you know that?"

"She ran into me this morning. Her and her sister," He nodded discreetly towards Hinata. "Live in that building. I caught some of his scent on her but I figured it was because she lives in the building."

"You think he's become acquainted with this girl?"

"It's a possibility but you know he isn't fond of humans."

"Well, she's still alive." The two sat in shared silence for several seconds. "I just don't understand why he's insisting on jumping back and forth like this. What could possibly have his attention like this?"

The burly brunet sighed and sagged in his chair. "I'm not sure but we'll figure it out. I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation for this."

"If his father finds out about this, I don't think he'll care for any of Gaara's explanations, reasonable or not," the woman frowned tightly. "I hope it doesn't have anything to do with that girl," her eyes darted to the door. "She asked me why I was staring at her."

"Why were you staring at her?"

"Because she had traces of Gaara's scent all over her!"

"Calm down, Matsuri."

Matsuri's face turned red and her eyes flickered ominously. "Don't you tell me to calm down, Jura. I'll calm down when we track him down and get some answers out of him."

Jura took a deep breath. "Matsuri, you know it's no one's business what Gaara does. If it doesn't involve Suna, we shouldn't worry. It's not like Gaara left Rasa completely hanging. He still has Temari and Kankuro."

Matsuri's face turned a darker shade. "It _is my_ business and it doesn't matter if Temari and Kankuro are still there with him. Gaara is not in a position to be so fleeting! Especially with a _human girl_ like that."

"We don't even know if he really has anything to do with that girl."

"Why are you defending her?"

"I'm not," Jura said quickly. Matsuri narrowed her eyes at him.

"She's _human_ ," She reminded him, the word rolling off of her tongue like it was acid. "She's a _human girl._ "

"I know what she is, Matsuri. I'm just saying we don't know for sure if she anything to do with him. She might have just run into him like she ran into me."

Matsuri continued to squint at him suspiciously for a couple more seconds before slowly shaking her head. She balled up her trash and got up. "Well, perhaps we should watch the apartment building. Maybe he'll show back up…" She trailed off while throwing her trash away.

The two left as quickly as they came, missing the frown on Hinata's face as they left the store. She blinked for a second. "That was the man from this morning.." She muttered thoughtfully.

* * *

"I don't know if I should even give you yer' car back once it's up and running," Suigetsu frowned. "Yer' a lot more careless than I thought. Yer supposed to take better care of a car."

Xin resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Do I look like I know how to maintain a car?" She asked while folding her arms across her chest. "If the engine starts then that's all I need to hear."

"Yer' a moron."

"Oh, you have got some nerve you fuckin' abomination."

"Abomination?"

"You heard me."

"If ya couldn't cook, ya'd be shit outta luck, woman."

Xin shrugged indifferently. "What're friends for, right?"

"Oh, are we friends?"

"Only when it's convenient to me."

"Spoken like a true businessman's daughter."

Xin grinned widely and told Suigetsu about her day, listening in turn when he told her about his day. They avoided speaking about Karin, despite both of them having questions about the missing redhead. Xin wanted to know why the two were still even together but as Karin's friend, she wisely kept her mouth shut. Not that she didn't think they should be together. She thought Sui and Karin made a great couple despite getting on her nerves as a unit. But Karin's commitment issues was causing Xin to wonder why Suigetsu would stay with someone so unsure of their romantic future together. It seemed draining to her.

Sometimes she felt bad for Suigetsu. He clearly loved Karin more than she loved him. Hell, more than he loved himself and Xin guessed that's why he was willing to stay with her. She wanted Suigetsu to be happy but she wasn't sure if he would ever truly be happy with Karin. Of course she couldn't say any of that. Karin was her friend, after all. Her loyalty was to the redhead and it would go against Girl Code if she told Suigetsu that he was better off without Karin.

Relationships seemed like so much work. Sure, it must have been nice to have a significant other but she wondered if all the messy parts of relationships were really worth it. Love was such a funny concept to her. Karin constantly told her that her way of thinking was the reason why she was still single. And Xin guessed it was true but she couldn't understand why someone would sacrifice their happiness the way Suigetsu did. She didn't want to understand why. Love was a poisonous thing and she hoped she'd never be twisted around like him.

"You sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Xin offered politely when they neared her building. She stood at the entrance and turned to Suigetsu, a friendly smile on her face. He got on her nerves all of the time but she still cherished him as a friend.

Suigetsu rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah, that's okay. Thanks for offerin' though," He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her torso for a quick hug. "Stay outta trouble, shorty," He kissed her head goodbye and turned away. Xin only snorted and waved after him until he turned a corner. As she made her way up to her floor, she wondered vaguely if Gaara would be waiting for her. Not that she cared either way but she hadn't seen the psycho for a good week. She just wasn't in the mood to have a heart attack if he decided to come flying out of the closet to choke her.

The little woman stood outside her apartment door, looking down at her hands. Of course she wouldn't admit it out loud but Gaara was right. She'd done something... _odd_ the first day they met. She couldn't explain what exactly is was but it was something. Something pure. Something _otherworldly_. But something told her that it wasn't possible. She was normal. She was human. She was a normal human girl. She lived a normal life and had a normal childhood. There was never any oddities growing up. But still...there was no denying whatever came bursting out of her to protect her from Gaara and dispel whatever the fuck he'd been doing to her.

Xin groaned softly and rubbed her eyes fiercely. She shook her head and rooted around in her bag for her keys. She had more important things to worry about than folklore.

Demons did not exist.

Gaara did not exist.

It was all in her head.

* * *

She was being stalked.

Not by Gaara. Because he didn't exist. No, she simply told herself that he was a figment of her imagination. It was a stressful week and she just conjured him up due to temporary hysteria. Hysteria actually ran deep in the Hyuga family. Not that anyone in the family would admit to it because then the family wouldn't seem so perfect. Then again, she's tested positive for OCD but that's probably nothing compared to hysteria. Xin actually wouldn't be surprised if she got hit with a bout of hysteria.

She was being stalked by someone else. By two people, this time around. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence but with each passing day, she kept seeing that tall brunet man she ran into in front of her apartment building and that woman who kept staring at her at the bakery. She'd thought nothing of the man at first because like Hinata said, he could possibly live in the same building as them. But then he began popping up in front of the bakery or she'd see him a block or two away from the gym. And she'd sometimes see him or that woman across the street from her building. She wasn't really sure why the two were keeping tabs on her but maybe it had something to do with her family.

Xin wasn't really concerned with the notion of being stalked until Hinata pointed the two out to her. She was sure that if things got critical, she could take the woman. She kind of looked like a wimp. The man might be a problem. That still didn't put Hinata's worries to rest. Of course she didn't want her sister to fight with some random strangers but Xin was a rather bullheaded person.

One particular night had Xin in a unpleasant mood. Her early shift at the bakery was brutal while her shift at the gym left her battered and bruised. Hinata ambled next to her, her arm tightly twisted around Xin's arm. She'd taken an accidental punch to the head and Hinata worried that she might have a concussion. The younger twin wasn't all that concerned but the said couldn't be the said for the older twin.

"That fucker punched me in the head on purpose," Xin grumbled as they turned down their street. "Hope I knocked a couple of screws loose in that big ass head of his," She continued with her grumbling, smiling evilly while remembering her kick to her opponent's face. That kick ended the rather brutal match between the two. Gai had been a bit concerned for Xin's state of health and reported it to Hinata when she stopped by at the gym on her way home.

"Sometimes I really hate that job of yours," Hinata sighed from next to her. Xin discreetly tried to pull her arm free but Hinata held on tightly. Xin hissed through her teeth when Hinata's nails suddenly dug deeply into her skin. "It's those two again…" She trailed off quietly, eyes straying across the street. Xin followed her gaze, frowning tightly when she spotted the man and woman sitting on a bench across their building. They hadn't taken notice of the twins, opting to obsessively stare at the building. They were speaking quickly to one another but the twins couldn't quite hear them.

"I've had enough of those two," Xin growled and snatched her hand away from Hinata. The older twin stumbled back with a gasp, giving Xin the opportunity to storm across the street. "Hey!" She shouted loudly, hands balled tightly at her sides as she continued her stride towards the now confused duo. "I am so sick of seeing you two motherfuckers every single time I turn around!"

"Excuse me!?" the brunette stood up in a flourish, ignoring her companion's quiet insistence that she sit back down.

"Excuse me?" Xin mocked snidely. "You heard me, you fuckin' stalker! The hell you want from us?" Xin stepped onto the sidewalk, although it did nothing for her height. The brunette was probably a good three or four inches taller than her but hell if that would stop her. She literally just took a punch to the head by an idiot that was probably 5'10 and put him down with a kick to the face. She could take this girl. The man slowly stood up, looking in between his partner and Xin. He was much taller than both girls but that wouldn't stop her from punching him right in his throat. Didn't matter how tall people were, no one could take being punched in the throat. "Oh, what, am I supposed to be scared cuz' you stood up?" She snarled at him, stopping right in front of the two. "I am so sick of you two motherfuckers popping up every time I open my goddamn eyes!"

"We aren't stalking you, you short pyscho," the brunette snarled right back.

"Oh, oh, you're not? So you just happen to be outside of my gym, our bakery we work at, _right outside_ of our apartment building, like right goddamn _now_? No? What would you call that, huh?" Xin demanded just as Hinata finally made her way across the street. She nearly collided into her sister in her haste, scrambling to drag her away from the two.

"Xin! Stop it, are you crazy?" Hinata demanded shrilly. "Wait, don't answer that," She muttered quickly. "Either way, stop it, you're creating a scene. We need to get inside and ice your bruises," She pulled at Xin's arm, hoping this scene wouldn't spiral into violence.

"Listen to your sister," the man tried to say soothingly. That seemed to agitate Xin even more.

"I would but you motherfuckers are testing me!" She nearly shrieked. "I am sick of this shit! Ever since that motherfucker—" She stopped ranting, face twisting up for some unknown reason.

"Ever since who?" the brunette pressed, stepping closer to Xin. Hinata took immediate notice of the brunette's close proximity and pulled Xin further back. She slipped an arm around Xin's shoulders and started to pull her into the street. "Ever since _who_?" the brunette demanded almost shrilly, following after them.

" _No one_ ," Xin bared her teeth at the girl. "You and iron giant over there need to back the fuck off. I am not above hitting a girl in her chest."

"Matsuri," the brunet grabbed Matsuri's shoulder, halting her from going after Xin. "Uh...sorry...it's just a misunderstanding," He pulled Matsuri backwards. Misunderstanding her ass. Those two were stalking her and Hinata.

"Right," Hinata agreed softly. "Just a misunderstanding," She stepped off of the curb and into the street, pulling Xin with her. "Hopefully a misunderstanding that won't happen again," She spoke lightly but her underlying threat rang clear for the two still on the sidewalk. The twins turned sharply with Hinata pulling Xin towards their building with strength that didn't belong in her small body. Matsuri and Jura watched the little twins go, slightly speechless.

"There's no way that woman interacted with Gaara," Jura said after a long minute of silence. Matsuri craned her neck back to look at him, waiting for him to continue his train of thoughts. "That woman was fully prepared to fight us. She would've swung if hadn't been for her sister. Didn't even blink when I stood up and you know small humans usually back down once they see how tall I am."

Matsuri nodded along to his words because it was true. "There's no way Gaara would tolerate a woman like that. Her mouth is something vicious. But did you notice how she stopped as soon as she began mentioning the other motherfucker? It could be Gaara she's talking about…"

"I don't know, Matsuri but we were too lenient and thought she wouldn't notice us hanging around. Let's return to Suna, give it a few more days and then continue. If Gaara is still in this vicinity, that woman will ruin us tracking him down," Jura decided, still staring at the building. Matsuri frowned but agreed, stepping off to an abandoned alleyway to open a portal. No one noticed the two step through it or it closing up.

* * *

Xin had an odd feeling in her stomach as Hinata continued to drag her towards the elevators. "Are you crazy?" Hinata asked when they stepped onto the elevator. Xin didn't answer. "What were you thinking, Xin? That was so stupid, you could've been hurt! Or killed!"

"I'm here for a good time, not a long time…"

"Xin!" Hinata exclaimed in exasperation. "This is not the time for song references! You really could have been hurt," Hinata reached up to Xin's temple, noticing the quick discoloration. "Why would you just go at them guns blazing like that?" Hinata asked, trying to keep her voice down. Xin folded her arms and shrugged indifferently as the elevator made its climb to the top floor. Hinata berated her the entire, annoyed with Xin's short fuse and lacking attitude.

"They're stalking us and they want to be mad because I confronted them about it? Where does that make sense at? Not here!" Xin was ranting by the time they made it to the top floor. "Next time I'm definitely punching one of them in their shit," Xin pratically snarled as they made their way down the hall. Hinata sighed, wondering why she even bothered. She fished her keys out of her bag and unlocked the door. An odd feeling overtook her, momentarily halting her in the doorway. Xin frowned, too tired to notice, and gently nudged at her sister's back.

Something wasn't right.

The two ventured into their apartment, heading to the living. Like at the doorway, Hinata paused in the archway. Xin made a small noise behind her and leaned over, flicking on the lights. The lights flooded the room and Hinata froze, blood running cold at the sight she was presented with.

She didn't immediately react so Xin was mostly unaware until she slowly looked over. Her lips twisted up and then opened, letting out a long suffering sigh. "Do you see him too?" She asked after a long second of stunned silence. Hinata looked at her sister, wondering how she could possibly stay calm when someone broke into their apartment. She nodded slowly, wondering if she should go grab the bat by the front door. "Yeah, thought so," Xin muttered almost sullenly. She ducked past Hinata, ignoring her whispered protests not to go near him. Xin paused at the back of the couch, leaning over to see Gaara with half-lidded eyes. "Oi, what'd I tell you about breaking in here like this?" She roughly nudged Gaara's head, tilting her head to the side when his head lolled backwards. "What's wrong with you?"

She leaned over the couch only to recoil in horror. "Jesus Christ! What happened to your leg?" She demanded shrilly while darting around the couch. His leg was a bloody mess with a medium sized dagger sticking out of his leg. Xin wasn't too sure but it almost seemed like the dagger was actually glowing. "Is that shit _glowing?_ "

"Nevermind that," Gaara finally spoke, voice grating against his throat. "Stop shouting and _get it out_."

"Are you crazy? I'm not touching that shit, do I look like a doctor to you?! You pull it out!" Xin shrilly screeched back at him. "Besides, you'll bleed all over my couches."

"Woman, I swear to whatever God you believe in, if you don't pull this shit out right now, I'm going to tear your throat out. With my teeth."

Xin grimaced, eyes darting between his face and the dagger. It _was_ glowing. Her stomach turned. "Why can't you pull it out? It looks like it's in there deep."

" _Because_ ," he gnashed his teeth together. "The fuckin' dagger is _blessed_ , so I can't pull it out," He nearly snarled at her. Xin scowled down at him, shoulders slumped in defeat. She muttered something about getting blood all over her couch but finally relented and moved closer to him.

"Hina, go get some towels," Xin ordered, kneeling at the couch by his injured leg. She was right, the dagger was plunged up to its hilt in his leg. Hinata hurried off, wondering what the hell her sister had gotten into this time around. She came back moments later, shoving the towels into her sister's hands and then quickly backing off. "Well, I'm going to count to three, okay?"

"If you must…"

"One, two—" Xin never made it to three, ripping the dagger out of his leg unexpectedly. Gaara let out a mix between a shout of anger and a growl of pain but Xin paid it no mind. She dove in with the towels, pressing them to his leg to stop the bloodflow. She wasn't really concerned about him losing blood. She really didn't want to get his blood on her couch. Blood was a bitch to get out. "When did my life get to this point?" She began to mutter to herself.

"What happened to your face?" Gaara suddenly sat up, shoving her hand away from his leg. Now that the damn blessed dagger was out, it would heal just fine. That bruise on her head, however, wouldn't heal so quickly. Xin frowned when his fingertips brushed against her skin.

"Don't touch me when your hands all bloodied like that," She hissed, dodging away from his clawed fingertips. "It's from a boxing match, why do you care anyway?"

"I don't."

"So it makes sense that you'd ask about something you don't care about."

Gaara glared at her but she shrugged and stood up to get rid of the bloodied towels. He finally took notice of her wide eyed sister. "What's the matter with her?" He asked blandly, not really concerned with her.

Xin glanced at her sister when she stepped back into the living room. "That's a stupid question and you know it," She rolled her eyes and approached her sister. "Hinata, are you going to be okay? Why don't you sit down and I'll try to explain the best I can, yeah?" She asked soothingly while grabbing Hinata. She steered her into the kitchen, away from Gaara, and sat her down at the small table. Xin tried her best to explain everything to Hinata, realizing how ridiculous it all sounded with each passing moment.

"Annnnd now he won't leave me alone."

"Why does he think you aren't normal?"

So maybe she left some things out. So what? How the hell was she supposed to explain what she did? She still didn't even believe she did anything to warrant his accusations of not being normal.

"I'unno, cuz' I hit him with my car?"

Hinata wasn't convinced with the awful lie but decided to leave it alone for now. "So demons really exist."

Xin sat back in her chair and sighed heavily. "Apparently."

"And you managed to hit one with your car."

"Seems so."

"And you just pulled a blessed dagger out of his leg."

"That's what he said."

"You realize how ridiculous this sounds, don't you?"

"Tell that to the demon who just bled all over the place due to a poorly misplaced dagger."

Hinata dropped her head into her arms. Now Xin's odd moods as of late was making a whole lot of sense. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just literally witnessed it," Hinata said while slowly picking her head back up. "Mom was sort of right when she said you might be having boy troubles."

"Ew, I don't think so."

Hinata let out a tired laugh. Xin frowned at her sister, feeling guilty for throwing all this nonsense on her all of a sudden. "Why don't you go to bed, Hinata? You've had a long day."

"And leave you alone with a demon? No way."

Xin smiled, ignoring the loud growl that emanated from the living room. "It'll be fine, Hinata. Really. I've stabbed him and hit him with a car."

"You caught me off guard both times, woman," Gaara appeared in the doorway, leisurely leaning against the frame. He studied the sisters with low eyes, noting the small differences between them. They both stared at him, unblinking.

"It still happened," Xin decided after a moment of silence. She stood up, pulling Hinata to her feet. "Go. I'll be fine, I promise. You need to get some sleep. He's not going to hurt me."

It took some more gentle coaxing but Hinata finally left the kitchen. She left her bedroom door open a crack, intent on running to Xin's aide if she needed it. "How do you know I won't hurt you?" Gaara asked, watching Hinata walk away. Something pure stirred in her, just like her sister. Interesting.

Xin folded her arms across her chest and shrugged. "I don't," She answered truthfully. "But enough of that. What happened to your leg?"

"I was stabbed."

"No shit, Sherlock. Who stabbed you?"

"There are humans aware of our existence. Paranoid, nosy creatures."

"No shit? A human stabbed you? Man, that's gotta hurt your pride, yeah?" Xin grinned widely, chuckling at his misfortune. "I'd love to meet the human who stabbed you with a blessed dagger, of all things."

"That's unfortunate. I killed him."

Xin's grin and chuckles vanished within seconds of his statement. "You...you _murdered_ a person?"

"That's what I said."

Xin stared at the much taller man, frowning softly. She was standing in a room with a murderous demon. She invited a murderous demon into her home. Well, technically he broke in but she kept letting him back. She helped him! She _helped_ a murderer. Gaara pushed off of the frame and ambled closer to her. Xin's neck craned back, chin lifting to look him right in the eye. "Are you scared?" He asked quietly, invading her personal space and forcing her to tilt her head further back to look him in the eye. She didn't reply but he could just _smell_ the fesf wafting from her. "You should be."

And she was. But Xin was never one to admit her weaknesses out loud. So Xin resolved her nerve, squared her shoulders and scowled harshly up at him. "Don't make me get that blessed dagger. Although this time, I'll make sure you can't get back up," She threatened quietly, baring her dull teeth at him.

Gaara watched in almost rapt fascination as fiery determination overtook the fear swimming in her eyes. "Did you just threaten me, woman?"

Her eyes narrowed. Fear still rolled off of her body but the smell of it was now mixed with traces of her determination and he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the smell of it. Xin suddenly moved around him, leaving the kitchen to pick up the bloodstained dagger. It was heavy in her little hands and was decorated with odd symbols. It still possessed a faint glow. She flipped it over in her hands, careful not to nick herself. This could have killed Gaara. If she'd just left it, the blessing could have easily purified him.

Why the fuck did she help him?

She could still stab him. She stabbed him once with a regular knife. She could do it again and this time, end everything before it could bloom into catastrophe. She had no business dealing with the supernatural. She had no place among folklore. So what was stopping her? Xin grabbed one of the towels that had been spared and wrapped the dagger up. She'd keep the dagger just in case. There was a loud pop behind but Xin didn't bother to turn.

He'd left as quickly as he came.

* * *

 _Xin's P.O.V_

I went through the trouble of convincing myself that Gaara was just a figment of my imagination only to have him show up and have that dream of normality crash and burn. Hinata didn't come out for breakfast. It didn't really surprise me. She did just witness me save a demon from being killed by a blessed dagger, of all things. I'm surprised she didn't pack her shit up and return to our parents. The only reason why I didn't run the other way was because Gaara wouldn't let me. But even so, we still had to get on with life. Demons or not.

I leaned against her bedroom door and knocked lightly. "Come on, Hinata. You can't just stay in your room all day. Come out and talk to me," I spoke gently through the door, hoping she would listen. She usually wasn't this stubborn. I didn't expect the door to abruptly swing open and I nearly tumbled into her. Jesus, what was she doing, standing on the other side just waiting?

"Were you ever going to tell us?"

Okay, see, here's the thing people don't understand about my sister. While it's true that out of the Hyuga sisters, she's the even-tempered one, she still has a temper. She was a lot like our mom. Hanabi and I mostly took after Hiashi while Hinata was mostly like Masami. Usually when Hinata got to her breaking point, I back off. But for some odd reason, I didn't feel like backing off. "Don't ask dumb questions, Hinata. No, I was never going to tell any of you."

Her face turned red in agitation. "Are you crazy? What if he killed you? How were we supposed to know if something happened to you?"

"I was doing just fine handling him."

Hinata let out a noise of frustration while throwing her hands up. "This is _just_ like you, I swear."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Hinata looked at me sharply. "You always do things like this, you make horrible decisions and when they blow up in your face, you don't want to tell anyone!" Hinata ran her hands through her hair, ruffling her hair messily.

"I don't tell any of you anything because you constantly try to control me!" I shouted back, already fed up. "Why do you think I left and stay away all the time? And let's be reasonable, Hinata, if I called about being stalked by a fuckin' _demon_ , my ass would be shipped out to an insane asylum!"

"You know that isn't true."

"Oh come on, Hinata, grow up! We're adults here, we can speak truthfully," I snapped snidely. "Why not give our parents all the reason they need to ship off their crazy daughter to some happy farm far away from the Hyuga name?"

"Oh stop it with the pity-party!" Hinata snapped right back. My mouth almost dropped open. "Enough, Xin! Enough! This is not about the family name! This is about you making _stupid_ decisions and becoming angry when you're being criticized! _You grow up!_ " She shouted in agitation. A tense silence sank over us. I wished I was arguing with anyone other than Hinata. If she'd been anyone else, I would've punched them right in the mouth. But this was my sister, my best friend, and I couldn't punch her. I wouldn't. My fingers tightened into fists but they remained at my side.

"I need some air," I declared tensely. I turned sharply, angrily yanking on my ratty sneakers and promptly fled. Maybe I'd run into that girl Matsuri and her tall stalker friend. Maybe I could punch one of them in the face. I didn't really have a destination in mind so I ended up at Tenten's family's restaurant, Dragon's Way. Mr. and Mrs. Shào were currently out and the restaurant was closed until two in the afternoon but I waltzed right in.

"You in, Tenten?" I called loudly, looking around the deserted restaurant. I hoped she was, I didn't feel like heading over to Karin's apartment. Last time I showed up unannounced, I got an eyeful of things I had no business of seeing.

Tenten ducked out the back kitchen, frowning. "Can't you read? The sign says closed," She pointed out, motioning to the sign.

I expertly ignored her snide comments. "Where's Xiurong?" I asked rudely, looking around for her mother. Xiurong was the better cook out of her and Tenten. I mean, Tenten was alright but couldn't throw down like her mom.

"My parents are out visiting my aunt. The store is closed for the day," Tenten eyed me. "What do you want?"

I clambered onto the stool, leaning my arms on the countertop. "Gong Bao chicken with a side of dumplings?" I asked, hoping she'd be nice enough to make it. Out of the three of us, Tenten was probably the nicest one. "And some fried egg rolls."

Tenten paused with a thoughtful look about her. "You usually don't have fried egg rolls. Are you upset? Did something happen?" She asked with just a hint of concern to her voice. Okay, so I ate unhealthy when I was upset. Who doesn't? We were all allowed to binge-eat at some point in our lives, right? Jesus, what's with everyone and the questions lately?

"Hina and I had a fight."

"Seriously? What did you do?"

"How do you know I did something?" I asked defensively. Tenten didn't reply, fixing me with an unimpressed look. Okay, that was a stupid question, I guess. I only shrugged, trying hard not to pout. "She said I make stupid decisions and then I get angry when critiqued."

Tenten turned away, gathering the ingredients. "Well...yeah? So?" Tenten asked slowly. I looked back at her, scowling offensively.

"I don't make stupid decisions," I insisted. I didn't deny getting angry about being criticized because who liked being criticized? No one.

Tenten looked at me with her chin tilted down and her eyebrows quirked. "You make stupid decisions all the time, Xin. It's who you are as a person."

"Name one stupid decision I've made."

"Moving out of your parents' home?"

"That wasn't stupid."

"You basically ran away, you vagrant."

"I am not a vagrant, She-Hulk. And speaking of hulking out, what the fuck was with that display of strength between you, Karin and Sui?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When we moved Hinata in. Y'all picked up all the heavy shit like it was nothing. Since when have you been that strong?"

"I work out."

"Karin doesn't."

"This isn't about me, Xin," Tenten suddenly pointed out with an edge to her voice. I frowned at that. Why was she being so defensive? It wasn't like she was hiding something. "What'd you and Hina fight about?"

I took the bait, deciding not to point out that she changed the subject. "Lately I noticed that we're being stalked," I started to explain. Okay, so that's not what we were arguing about but hell if I would tell Tenten. "I may or may not have had a confrontation with the stalkers."

"You threatened the people who were stalking you, didn't you?"

"Well what was I supposed to do?" I asked crossly. "They both looked like wimps anyway."

"Somehow I doubt that's what Hinata was worried about. People are crazy, Xin. You can't just go around threatening people. You don't know what they're capable of these days," Tenten reprimanded me firmly while turning away to prepare the food. Well as long as they didn't turn out to be fuckin' demons, I think I'd mostly be alright. I doubt Thing one and Thing two were anything but harmless. They seemed like two idiots. They couldn't even stalk right. Tenten cooked the order and served it to me before sitting down across from me. "It's not like you two to argue like this. Dealing with those stalkers must have really bothered Hinata. She usually lets you do what you want. Try to understand where she's coming from, yeah?"

My mouth twisted stubbornly but I nodded slowly. I guess I could understand why she'd be upset about my involvement with Gaara but it was pretty much out of my control. It's not like I willingly held the door open for him. He just came and went as he pleased. I stabbed him, for fuck sakes, what else could I do to let them all know I wanted nothing to do with Gaara? And what would have calling my parents done? What, was he supposed to listen to them because they're adults? Somehow I doubt it.

Either way, losing my temper the way I did wasn't fair to Hinata. She was worried and scared. I guess she did have every right to be frustrated with my blase attitude. Begrudgingly, I shoved a fried egg roll into my mouth. Jesus I was going to have to go the gym to burn off this unhealthy intake. "Yeah, I'll probably stop by the bakery and get her some of those cookies she likes so much."

"You know sweets aren't the answer to everything."

"No, but they're the answer to _some_ things."

* * *

TeeBeMe:Trying to come up with a name for a Chinese restaurant without sounding stereotypical is hard. I wanted to make it known that it's a Chinese establishment in Japan without sounding so stereotypical. I was binge-watching the first two sagas of Dragon Ball Z and named it Dragon's Way after Snake Way. Hope it's not offensive but if it is, let me know and I'll change it to something else.

lilian: Okay so when I first started Shades of Cool, Xin's dark characteristics belonged to Gaara. But then I switched it to Xin being the more darker of two. Shades of Cool is actually a song by Lana Del Rey and the pre-chorus _"But I can't fix him, can't make him better, And I can't do nothing about his strange weather"_ and the actual chorus _"But you are unfixable, I can't break through your world, Cause you live in shades of cool, Your heart is unbreakable"._ The line, " _He prays for love, he prays for peace, and maybe someone new"_ represented that. However, I ended up changing Xin to the darker character but still felt inspired by the lines. In a sense, I felt like the song kind of represented both of them and their relationship. It's about a painful relationship and wanting to fix the other person but realizing they can't. I hope this cleared it up for you! Hopefully Whispers in the Dark's connection is easier to understand :p

fatjack36: Demon Gaara is a lot of fun to write. It's different writing him as the dark character and not Xinny but it's still fun because Xin is still a psycho in her own way, lol. Hope you enjoyed!

moonlight46: Thank you! She loves and appreciates you and your review! So glad this story is fun

marinaa07: I'm glad their relationship is realistic enough to be compared to yours and your sister's growing up. I'm liking the more aggressive and demonic Gaara as well, him and Xin are still so fun to write.

SoberThoughts: No my dear, thank you for the support! I hope you liked this update as well.


	5. Crystal ball

Xin returned to the apartment about an hour later with the cookies only to realize Hinata was at her afternoon class. With a frustrated sigh, she dropped the parcel of cookies on the coffee table and slumped into the couch.

She didn't think she was necessarily wrong but she did react negatively. She'd apologize for raising her voice and being a snide little shit but she wasn't going to say sorry for keeping Gaara a secret. For some odd reason, he had some sort of fixation with her and that was probably the only thing keeping her alive. He didn't have the same fixation with her family so she made damn sure he had no reason to come across any of them. Xin would not apologize for protecting them from him. With that in mind, she stretched out on the couch with the intention of taking a nap.

 _Xin was immediately aware that she was dreaming. It was odd feeling but she just knew she was dreaming. For a long time, everything was pitch black. She couldn't see a thing and the silence that accompanied was eerily deafening._ _And then the darkness wavered for several seconds. When the wavering stopped, a man appeared. He was tall with an average sized build and his skin was an oddly tinted red. His eyes were ice blue and protruding from his forehead were two massively twisted horns._

 _The man, obviously a demon, searched the vicinity for something. His appearance visibly wavered and then suddenly changed drastically. One of his horns was now missing, leaving just a bloody stump behind and the left side of his face was scarred down into a internal grimace._ _His eyes continued to stray left and right before settling right on her. Xin knew she wasn't physically there but her blood ran cold under the dark gaze. A slow and cruel smile tugged at his lips, leaving his face in an awkward mess of smiles and scars._

" _Tsuki-hime…" the word sounded dirty, like his tongue caressed every letter. "It's been so long but I'm getting closer to tracking you down," He purred into her direction._ _Tsuki-hime? Tracking her down? Who the fuck was this demon and what the hell was he talking about? This odd dream was turning out to be too dark for her tastes._ " _It won't be long, Tsuki-hime. I'll find you and when I do…" his ice cold eyes gleamed. "When I do...you'll pay for what you've done to me...all in good time."_

 _Xin wasn't sure about a lot of things but she was sure it was time to wake the fuck up._

 _She looked around but all she saw was darkness but she knew she had to get up. This demon was seriously creeping her the fuck out. He continued to grin at her, scars seemingly twitching. Oh hell no, it was definitely time to get the fuck up. She started pinching at her skin but it seemed useless. She couldn't even feel the pressure._ " _You can't hide forever, Tsuki-hime. You and your sister…you'll pay…."_

 _Xin started to erratically tear at her skin, spewing blood and torn veins everywhere_

" _in….up...hey...Xin...wake up. Xin!"_

Xin shot up like her ass was on fire, nearly tumbling off of the couch in her haste to sit up. Hinata caught her by the shoulders, shouting in surprise. "Calm down!" Hinata shouted, hands gripping Xin's shoulders. "What in the world has gotten into you?"

Xin looked around wildly for the horned demon. She glanced down at her arm, expecting a mess of blood and torn veins but her arm was fine. "I…" She trailed off, at a loss for words. "I think Satan just threatened me…" She admitted slowly, rubbing her arm. She knew Hinata probably thought she'd lost all of her marbles these past couple of days. Whatever she said next was only going to prove that she did lose her mind.

Hinata blinked at her in concern. "It was a dream, Xin. Calm down," she tried to say soothingly. She was a bit frustrated with her last class and coming home to find her sister thrashing in her sleep wasn't helping her mood at all. Besides, she was still upset with Xin in the first place.

"I don't think it's that simple, sis."

"Are you trying to tell me that _Satan_ really threatened you?"

"And you too, if we're being technical."

"Excuse me?"

Xin sat up fully, setting her feet to the floor. She looked around the apartment and then slowly pinched her arm. It hurt just a bit but Xin knew it meant she was actually awake. "Well...he said you and your sister will pay. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean Hanabi when he said your sister…" Xin trailed off, actually looking guilty for the first time since all of this shit happened. Hinata sat back into the couch, slumping her shoulders.

"Does this have anything to do with your involvement with that...demon?" She asked slowly, spying the parcel of cookies from the bakery. She wondered if Xin was purposely being a smartass by purchasing those cookies knowing they were Hinata's favorite. Her sister was quite petty.

"His name is Gaara and for some reason I feel like it doesn't have anything to do with him. It's not like Satan mentioned his name," Xin replied tiredly. It felt odd to refer to Gaara as 'that demon'. She knew she'd hate it if someone referred to her as 'that human'. Not that anyone besides him would actually call her a human. It also felt just as odd to defend Gaara. What did she care if Hinata didn't use his name? It's not like she liked the motherfucker anyway.

"Can we stop calling him Satan? That makes me nervous."

Xin only nodded before leaning forward to grab the parcel of cookies. "Look...uh….about yesterday…" She trailed off, she wasn't one to usually apologize for anything. She was freakishly stubborn like that. "I'm not going to apologize for keeping Gaara away from you all. I still don't know what he's capable of and I didn't want him near you or the rest of the family. I will say that the way I reacted was unnecessary and that I'm honestly sorry. It wasn't right to say those things to you," the younger twin reached up, rubbing the back of her neck.

Hinata was quiet for a long time. "I worry for you, Xin. I always worry for you. Maybe you're right when you say the family wants to control you. You're a free spirit and we worry for you. That argument went south and I'm sorry as well. I'm not sorry that I worry about you but the way I reacted and went about it the wrong way."

Xin smiled slowly and leaned towards Hinata, laying her head against her shoulder. "I think we both said some things we didn't mean," She finally offered the parcel of cookies, watching as her sister's eyes light up brightly. "Are we okay again?"

Hinata took the parcel of cookies with a wan smile. "Of course we're okay," She said kindly. "I hope you don't think you'll be getting any of these cookies.."

"I thought I was the mean sister, sheesh."

* * *

"Something is up," Tenten immediately stated the moment Suigetsu and Karin walked into Dragon's Way. Karin frowned stiffly but Suigetsu only grinned.

"Hey to you too, Tenten," Suigetsu greeted while sitting at the front counter. "How's business lately?"

"Oh, who cares about that?" Karin grouched from next to him, running her fingers through wild locks of red. "It's three in the goddamn morning, Shào."

Tenten wrinkled her nose in disdain. "It's not like you were actually sleeping, Uzumaki," She shot back, taking note of the pair's disheveled appearance. "This is important," She waved her annoyance away. It didn't take much to annoy the redhead. Suigetsu leaned over and rested a hand on her lower back. "Something is up with Xin. I think she's been taking notice of some... _things_."

Karin slouched against the counter, scowling all the while. "If Xin is starting to notice things, it's not _our_ doing," She motioned between herself and Suigetsu. "Your enchantments are weakening."

Tenten glowered at her and some of the glassware behind her in the cabinet began to shudder. Suigetsu glanced in between the two. "My enchantments are not the problem, demon," She snarled back at Karin. Karin's eyes turned to slits and her canines visibly lengthened.

"Then how else would she be taking notice, enchantress? _You're_ the one who's supposed to make sure _your_ tricks keep Hinata and Xin safe in the dark."

"Girls," Suigetsu uttered firmly. "It's no one's fault. There's a third party involved. Ya can smell it faintly on Xin," He explained simply, rubbing Karin's back soothingly. She closed her eyes tensely and took a deep breath. "Dunno' who's scent it is, though."

Tenten eyed her but shook her head. "You can't pin the scent to someone? Perhaps it's someone we know and can let them know to back the hell off. The last thing we need is Xin and Hinata getting involved."

"It's too faint and Xin has too many clashing scents clinging to her. She has her own, the scent of sugar from the bakery, the scent from the gym, not to mention all of that cleaning chemicals she hoards."

Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's probably why she's been so weird lately," Karin leaned her cheek against her fist. "Well, weirder than usual."

"She has been acting out of sorts and whenever I asked about it, she said she was just tired. I knew something wasn't right. I wish she'd tell us."

"Yeah, it's not like she doesn't know she's been friends with two demons and a Chinese enchantress all this time," Karin waved a fleeting hand. "Of course she'd tell us she's probably being stalked by a demon."

"I don't need your sarcasm, Uzumaki."

Karin let out a huff, smiling at Tenten's exasperation. "There's nothing we can really do unless she tells us, Tenten. How's Neji feel about it?" Suigetsu asked, honestly concerned for the twin's safety. The four of them swore they'd protect the twins and keep them away from demonic folklore but it seemed inevitable.

"He's just as worried. Something in the demon realm is out of whack, there's too many portals popping out and too many bloodthirsty demons coming through. He's exhausted so I forced him to rest for the night."

"You know he doesn't like when you use your tricks on him."

"There aren't _tricks_ and I didn't. I slipped some sleeping medication in his dinner."

"Preeeetty sure that's illegal."

"By human standards, maybe."

"He is, in fact, a human, Tenten."

Tenten tried not to smile but failed, dropping her head and snorting into her chest. Neji was going to be upset when he woke up but she had good intentions. But they could deal with that in the morning. "It's important that we keep the twins protected. You and my great-grandparents made a deal with the Hyuga family and we will honor it," Tenten stated firmly, looking in between the two. Karin sighed heavily while Suigetsu smiled sadly.

"I see so much of Jun and Junko in them. Especially Xin."

"She definitely inherited Jun's vicious temper," Suigetsu hummed in accordance to Karin's statement. Tenten looked in between, lost in memories she had no part of. The women, special as they were to her friends and even to her family, were long dead before Tenten was in the picture. But her great-grandmother, Ruolan, lived up until Tenten was eight and told her all about Hyuga Jun and Junko. So even if she'd never met the two, she felt like she knew them. But she knew Xin and Hinata. She loved them and she would do anything to keep them safe. Not because they were Jun and Junko but because they were Xin and Hinata.

"We could tell them…" Karin trailed off, glassy eyes fading. She didn't like the thought of keeping the truth from the twins. There lives were potentially in danger. If making them aware of it made their jobs easier, than she was all for it.

"The minute they become aware is the moment every creature within a 10 mile radius of them becomes aware of it also. To break the enchantment would put their lives into grave danger," Tenten explained for them umpteenth time. She knew of Karin's frustration but she would not budge. Ruolan made it clear that they were not to tell the girls of their heritage.

"Ruolan never said what would happen if the girls figured it out on their own," Suigetsu pointed out quickly.

"No but how would they figure it out on their own? Becoming aware of supernatural folklore is one thing but realizing what they are is something entirely different, you both know that."

Karin made a noise of frustration and rubbed her forehead. "So what do we do?" She asked in a soft voice. "Either way, they're still going to be in danger."

"First let's try to track down that third party and figure out if they're a threat," Tenten began to plan. She suddenly blinked and snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot to mention, Xin did tell me that she and Hina were being stalked by two people."

"She _knows_ they're being stalked?"

"Yes and she threatened the stalkers."

"Xin threatened two stalkers that could potentially be demons or some other supernatural creature?" Karin asked slowly.

"Sounds about right…" Suigetsu trailed off with a snort of laughter. "How'd Hina react?"

"She was very upset with Xin. They had an argument about it, Hina told Xin that she makes stupid decisions and then gets angry when she's criticized about it."

Karin looked impressed. " _Hinata_ said that? Wow, living with Xin is really doing something for her backbone. Hinata is so passive and usually lets things go," Karin snickered. Xin was her best friend but she enjoyed when someone could stand up to her fierce temper. Even more so when it was her passive sister.

"She ain't wrong," Suigetsu shrugged leisurely. "She fucks up a lot."

"We're the ones who'll fuck up if we don't track this third party down," Tenten pointed out sourly. She was beginning to sound like a broken record. Karin and Suigetsu weren't taking this serious enough and it was starting to get on her nerves.

"Lighten up, Shào," Karin rolled cherry-red eyes.

"We probably should be a little more cautious," Suigetsu tried not to snicker. Sometimes Karin and Tenten bickered more than Xin and Karin. It was entertaining but it could get a little brutal if left alone for too long.

"Right, nothing's more cautious than stalking the stalkers that's stalking our friends," Karin sung.

"Get out."

* * *

Things stared to spiral out of control on a late Friday night. For one, her friends acted out of sorts all week leading up to that Friday. She was used to Suigetsu being annoyingly affectionate but Karin and Tenten's behavior was out of the ordinary. They stood too close and often commented on how she smelled. Not that she smelled awful or anything but they kept asking about the new fragrance she was sporting knowing damn well Xin didn't buy perfume. Suigetsu kept draping himself over her while Karin and Tenten stood far too close. She felt like she was suffocating.

They didn't find anything weird about their behavior but Hinata noticed their odd behavior. Xin found relief in knowing she wasn't being freakishly paranoid about them acting overly affectionate. But even so, their odd behavior couldn't dampen her cheerful mood Friday evening. The sisters had off for the weekend from both jobs and school and were excited to spend time together and decided to spend it with Xin teaching Hinata how to bake.

Hinata knew how to bake the normal sweets such as cookies, brownies and regular sized cakes. She somewhat knew her way around the kitchen, unlike Hanabi. Their younger sister tended to burn anything she touched. Xin gleefully and mercilessly teased her, knowing it got under her skin that she couldn't do something Xin found easy. "I'm so glad I got my car back," Xin sung happily while pulling a knife out of the knife block. She leaned over the freshly baked brownies to cut into squares. The successful sweets were going to be packed away to bring to _Mad Batter_ come Monday morning. "If Sui wasn't being so goddamn weird, I could have kissed him."

"Their behavior is worrying me," Hinata said from her post at the oven. She crouched in front of the oven, staring straight into the oven at the current sweets baking. Xin glanced over at her shoulder, smiling in amusement at her sister's childlike antics. "Something's up but I can't figure out what. Even Neji has been acting odd lately."

"Neji is an odd person," Xin commented blandly, looking around for the pastry bag. Every surface in the kitchen was covered with various forms of sweets. Xin casually wondered if there was enough room in the fridge to house the sweets until Monday morning. She grinned at the thought of actually tasting the sweets to see if the flavor came out right or not. Judging by the aromal, most of them were successful.

"I'm sure he'd say the same about you," Hinata chuckled and stood up when the oven's alarm went off. She busied herself with removing the batch of blondies while Xin wrapped the display of fudge brownies and shoved them into the fridge. "Ah, they smell so good," Hinata sighed while placing the pan down where the brownies had previously been.

"Yeah, well, we come from a weird family," Xin started to grin but it slowly fell away. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Hinata didn't seem to take notice, distracted by the knocking on the front door. Before Xin could stop her, Hinata flew out of the kitchen, positive that their takeout had finally arrived. Xin swiped the knife up and quickly followed after her sister.

"Hinata, wait—" Xin followed close on her heels, sliding to a stop at Hinata's back just as she opened the door. The two let out sharp gasps at the sight that waited for them. A hulking behemoth stood on the other side, staring down at them. His skin was a dull gray, covered in scars, warts and bumps. Stringy clumps of filthy ebony sprouted from a balding head, only parted by the the twisted horns from his forehead. He barely had an actual face, just distorted features smashed together on a lumpy head. "Shit," Xin uttered as the thing raised a swollen arm.

Xin grabbed the hood on Hinata's jacket and yanked her away as the Hulk rejection swiped his arm towards her. Hinata stumbled backwards and Xin surged forward with the knife, driving it into it's face with all her might. He roared in agony but Xin paid it no mind, grabbing Hinata and ducking under the creature. The twins darted towards the stairwell, knowing damn well they'd be dead if they waited for the elevator. They scrambled down the stairs, slipping and tumbling over their feet in a desperate attempt to get away from whatever was wailing in the doorway of their apartment. Oddly enough, the lobby was empty, but hell if that would stop them from getting away. Xin threw the doors open and all but dragged Hinata towards her car, thanking whatever God that decided to smile upon her when she forgot to drop her keys into the basket by the door. She unlocked the door and yanked it open. "Get in, get in, get in, get in!" She nearly shrieked while shoving Hinata into the car.

From above her, the sound of shattering glass distracted her. She dared to look up, horror filling her eyes at the sight presented to her. She grabbed the sleeve of Hinata's jacket and began to pull her out. "Get out, get out, get out, get out!" She shrieked and pulled her sister out of the car just as the injured creature landed on the car. The force of his landing knocked them backwards with Hinata landing on top of Xin. Slightly delirious from the force of her head hitting the ground, Xin slowly sat up while pushing at Hinata. Her jaw dropped at the sight of her crushed car. "Oh come on!" She groaned despite her head throbbing in protest. Hinata scrambled to her feet, pulling desperately at Xin. Without the aide of the car, they were sure to die.

"Xin! Hinata!"

The two turned, twin looks of confusion marring their face when Tenten came darting out of the darkness. "Tenten?" Hinata blinked, momentarily forgetting that she was literally staring death in the face. "What are you doing!?"

"More importantly, what the fuck are you wearing?" Xin asked in a slight daze.

Tenten was dressed in an altered ruby-red qipao with high slits up to her hips. She wore loose shorts to her knees with white bands cuffing the hem of the shorts to her knees. Layered cloths of red, white and yellow resembling an obi cinched around her waist and she wore black kung-fu shoes. Her hair was twisted up into complicated braided buns, held in place by a Narcissus flower clip.

"Xin, that's hardly the point right now!"

"She looks like fuckin' Chun-Li."

"I think you may have a concussion."

Tenten slid in front of them, feet parted in a defensive stance. The twins had no idea what the fuck Tenten thought she was going to do. Tenten held up her hand, fingers spreading outwards. A shining light sprouted from her hand, forming a ball. The ball solidified, resembling a glowing red crystal ball. "We're dead, Hinata. A fuckin' crystal ball just came out of Tenten's hand. This is Death," Xin uttered with wide eyes.

"Xin, please, now isn't the time…"

Tenten turned to them, frowning. She studied the two and realized that Xin more than likely had a concussion. It would explain why the two weren't fleeing and all of Xin's babbling. Things were just a bit more complicated than she would have liked. Her shoulders sagged, ignoring the demon trying to crawl out of the wreck that was Xin's car. She looked to her crystal ball, lips moving quickly as she commanded it to do her bidding. " _Bǎohù nǐ de chúnjié,"_ no sooner did the words leave her lips that the crystal ball flew towards the twins. Hinata curled around Xin but found herself defensively jerking backwards when the crystal ball neared her. The ball bobbed in front of Hinata's face before something red flickered around them. Red energy expanded until it formed a sphere around them. The floating crystal ball returned to Tenten's hand. "Do _not_ move until help arrives."

"Who the fuck is help?"

" _Xin."_

The demon finally climbed off of the car, further damaging it beyond repair. Xin covered her face at the sight, not even her concussion would stop her from mourning her car. She'd _just_ gotten it back. What did she do to deserve this? Tenten engaged the demon before it could get what little wits it had together. The crystal ball violently flew around, striking the demon and hitting it with bursts of red energy. Hinata watched in muted awe while Xin tried to watch. All the quick movements and strikes of color was doing wonders for her confused head.

"Tenten! Take the barrier down!" the barrier dropped and suddenly Karin and Suigetsu were crouching at their side. Xin and Hinata turned, blinking owlishly at their friends. They then exchanged mutual looks of perplexity.

"Hinata…"

"Yes…?"

"It might be the concussion talking...but Karin has ears on the _top_ of her head."

"I see them too."

Two large fox ears the same color of Karin's hair poked out from the top of her skull. Her canines were noticeably sharper and her pupils thinned into slits. Suigetsu, on the other hand, was mostly unchanged except all of his teeth were freakishly long and sharp and his eyes seemed to glow eerily. "We'll explain later," Karin stated urgently, slipping her arms under Hinata. She almost backed away from the redhead, frowning tightly. Suigetsu crouched closer to Xin and held his arms out to her. She blinked at him and knowing he was her best bet at safety, leaned towards his open arms.

Suigetsu scooped her up, tucking her head into his chest. "Keep yer' head down," He instructed the dazed woman. Hinata let out a squawk of surprise when Karin slid her arms under her and hefted her up like she weighed nothing. Xin would like to say she didn't pass out but the minute Suigetsu started to run through the fuckin' city like the Devil light a fire up under his ass, she clocked out. She didn't even realize she passed out. One minute she was blinking into Suigetsu's chest and the next, she was staring up at a ceiling.

She let out a long groan, turning onto her side and curling into a ball. Her head was pounding and she couldn't remember why. There was a shuffling from somewhere but she didn't bother to look up. The lights were too goddamn bright and her life sucked right now. "Xin? Are you awake?" the shuffling ceased and a door closed, allowing Hinata into the room. The older twin approached the younger twin, worried that something was going wrong during her slumber. She stood over the lump in the bed, leaning over to prod gently at it. Xin pulled the blanket away and slowly sat up.

"Hinata, I had the weirdest fuckin' dream _again_ ," Xin said once she realized it was just her sister. Hinata readjusted the pillows behind her, making sure they could support her weight. "There was this Hulk-reject that tried to kill us and Tenten came out of nowhere dressed like fuckin' Chun-Li with a crystal ball and Karin had—" She came to a sudden spot when Tenten appeared at the door, still dressed in her odd getup. "...and it wasn't a dream. Course not."

Tenten slowly stepped into the room. There was some strained whispering outside of the room but she was the only one who came in. "I know you have some questions…" She spoke evenly, knowing Xin's mood could escalate in three seconds.

"Do you, Chun-Li? Did your crystal ball tell you that?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, "Don't call me Chun-Li."

"Sure, Xianghua, whatever you say."

"She doesn't even wear a qipao."

Hinata pinched the bridge of her nose. This could go on forever if she let it. "Girls, _please_ , let's act our age. Xin, Tenten said she would explain as soon as you woke up. Stop it with the Chinese video game characters," She suggested tiredly. Xin pouted childishly and folded her arms, gritting her teeth when her head began to throb. Tenten approached the bed, sitting down in the chair next to her to hold her hand out to Xin. The younger girl eyed the appendage like it would be the death of her but didn't move away from it. Tenten brushed her fingertips against Xin's forehead, allowing red energy to dance across her forehead. The energy twisted and swirled, plunging into Xin's skull.

The headache gradually dulled until it vanished. The whole thing disturbed Xin but she was grateful that Tenten chased the concussion away. "Alright," She sighed heavily. "Take it away, Lei-Fang."

Tenten rolled her eyes at yet another video game character jab but ignored it. "I come from a long line of Chinese enchanters," She paused, waiting for a snippy comment but Xin didn't have anything sarcastic to say. She remained dreadfully quiet, an odd look in her eyes. "A very long time ago, my family won favor with a Dragon King."

"A Dragon King," Xin repeated dryly. "Like Shenlong?"

"Shenlong isn't a _Dragon King_ ," Tenten rolled her eyes. "We won favor with the White Dragon, Ao Ji. His influence runs through our veins and grants us divine power."

"So you mean to tell me that you're a dragon magician?" Xin asked incredulously. Hinata tried hard not to laugh. She stifled the laugh with a cough, turning her head away to hide her amusement.

"I prefer Enchantress," Tenten replied smoothly. She held up her hand and once more, the crystal ball appeared. "Humans were never meant to look upon divine power, let alone wield it," the energy inside the ball swirled, pressing against the glass almost violently. "This houses the excess energy," Tenten stilled, allowing the new information to sink in. For some reason or another, the twins were very accepting of this new development. She found that suspicious. The twins knew _something_ but she wasn't exactly sure what they knew.

"And Karin and Suigetsu?" Hinata prompted, moving the to conversation along.

"Yeah, the fuck was up with that? Karin had ears on the top of her head and Sui had way too much teeth in his mouth."

Tenten snorted, causing her crystal ball to shutter. It suddenly dropped into her lap, causing the twins to eye it warily. Tenten blatantly ignored their expressions, choosing to quietly settle her hands over the ball. "Well...the thing is…." Tenten trailed off mysteriously. "They're demons...demons also exist," She waited for some sort of surprise or backlash or _something_ but the twins offered nothing more than slightly perplexed expressions. It proved that they knew something. How _much_ they knew was something entirely different. Xin muttered something too low for her to hear but she exchanged a funny look with Hinata. Tenten noticed the look and tilted her head to the side. "This is an underwhelming reaction from the two of you," She tried to sound as casual as possible. They didn't seem the least bit fazed, solidifying her suspicions.

"Well, I did just witness you coming out of the fuckin' dark like Chun-Li to whoop a demonic giant's ass with a crystal ball. You can't make that shit up," Xin pursed her lips. "Besides, Hina did curse me out about making snap decisions," She shrugged indifferently, ignoring Hinata's look of disdain. Leave it to Xin to take a critique and spin it to her advantage. Spoken like a true businessman's daughter. Xin would've made a ruthless businesswoman had she listened to Hiashi. No wonder he was so angry about her diverging off the intended pathway.

"Girls," Tenten leaned forward, squinting all the while. "Is there something you aren't telling me?" She asked, giving them ample time to spit the truth out. Xin's eyes swiveled in Hinata's direction. Hinata mimicked the action. One thing Tenten hated about the two was that they easily held private conversations with just their eyes.

"No," Xin finally decided.

"Xin, I mean it, is there something you aren't telling me?" Tenten pressed stubbornly.

Xin slouched and rolled her eyes, "okay, you've twisted my arm," She said in exasperation. "I hit a demon with my car and now he won't leave me alone," She stated in monotone. Tenten sat back into the chair, frowning all the while.

"That's ridiculous, Xin. At least come up with a better lie," Tenten huffed. Knowing of the supernatural's existence was one thing but hitting a demon with her car? How stupid did Xin think she was? There's no way she caught a demon that off guard. Besides, no demon would let her off that easily after hitting them with a car. Demons were prideful creatures and would sooner kill themselves over letting a human best them.

Xin grinned widely and shrugged casually. "Fine, fine," She agreed easily. "Is there something _you_ aren't telling us?"

That surprised Tenten. She couldn't tell them about Jun and Junko, at least, not yet. They'd have to realize it themselves. Telling them truth was a last resort if the time called for it. Ruolan made that very clear before her death. "No," She shook her head. Karin would be angry that she didn't take the opportunity to tell them the truth but Karin could burn in Hell. They had their instructions. "Nothing else besides the truth about the supernatural folklore."

Xin sat back into the bed, a thoughtful look on her face. She didn't say anything, allowing Hinata time to ask her own question. "Which side was blessed by a Dragon King?" She asked curiously. Xin pressed her fingers to her forehead, wondering if Tenten's energy was still sparking around inside her skull. Demons were one thing. Enchantments and living energy was trippy as all Hell.

"Mom's side. That's why Dad married into her family and took her name. The Shào women never give up their last name. The white Dragon King gave it to us."

"My, what a benevolent Dragon King."

"Shut the hell up, Xin."

"You shut the hell up, Ling Xiaoyu."

Tenten rolled her eyes at yet another jab but chose not to retaliate. "Are you done with the Chinese characters, Hyuga?"

"I'm never done, Litchi Faye Ling."

"I'm going to kill you."

"You can remember all these Chinese video game characters but you can't remember your own grandfather's birthday," Hinata mused in bemusement. Xin turned to her, feigning for offense for seemingly taking Tenten's side. Hinata only shrugged, it was an honest statement. It really was odd what Xin decided to commit to memory.

"Well, I like the video games. Kazuma can go suck on a lemon."

"Suck on a lemon?"

"Well, you'd get angry if I said he can burn in Hell. But then again, I'm sure he'd fit right in with his fellow damned souls," Xin said with no hint of remorse. Hinata wanted to deny the claim but pressed her lips together, rolling them into her mouth. She couldn't argue that point, Kazuma wasn't the nicest man around. He butted heads with Xin as much as she butted heads with Hiashi. Most of the time it was amusing but other times it could get serious.

A light knock at the door distracted the trio from their derailed conversation. Xiurong peeked in, smiling a motherly smile. Tenten mostly took after Xiurong in appearance. The only difference was Xiurong's hair was so dark it looked black. She stepped into the room, armed with a tray of something that smelled sweet and dressed in her pyjamas. Hinata and Xin felt guilty the moment they realized they must have woken Tenten's parents with all the commotion of arriving after nearly being killed a some random abomination. She smiled motherly and held up the tray. "I don't mean to disturb you girls but I thought you could use some sweets. I made _shuǐjīng bǐng._ Would you care for some?"

Tenten laughed softly but the twins perked up at the mention of the desserts. Hinata got up to meet the older woman, bowing her head in both greeting and thanks. "Thank you, Mrs. Shào, I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused tonight," She graciously took the tray from Xiurong.

"No trouble, Plum blossom," Xiurong waved Hinata's apology away. She had a habit of nicknaming the girls after flowers. It embarrassed Tenten at first but Xin, Hinata and Karin loved the sentiments. "I'm assuming Tenten revealed our origins?"

"That you're dragon magicians? She might have mentioned it," Xin grinned from her perch, making a happy squealing noise when Hinata sat on the bed next to her. She folded her legs and settled the tray over her legs to share with Xin. Xiurong laughed jovially and approached the bed.

"Well, I suppose that's one way to describe us," She chuckled and sat at the edge of the bed. "But listen well, Orchid, this world of ours is dangerous," her face became grave. "I know you don't like it when your independence is threatened but listen to whatever Tenten, Sui and Karin have to say. You, as human girls, are their first priority."

The mood dampened slightly. "Especially you, Orchid," She turned more towards Xin than Hinata. "This world is wicked and strange," her usually kind eyes darkened. She flexed her fingers and her own crystal ball formed, shining a very light blue in comparison to Tenten's vibrant red. "There are some hardships that lie in your future, _chúncuì de yīgè_ , but you are a strong one. It will be hard but be mindful," She paused as the crystal ball swirled gently. "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials," Xiurong said soothingly. Although to Xin, she was speaking in rhymes and riddles.

Wasn't she already having a hard enough time as it is? Things were going to get harder from here on out? First Gaara, then that weird demonic dream and now her closest friends were among the folklore. What else could possibly go wrong? She wanted to argue with Xiurong but she could see the truth in the older woman's eyes. There was no fighting her words. Things were only going to get more difficult.

But first she had to figure out _why._

* * *

Hiii yall. Anyone whose been rocking with me since the first version of Whispers in the Dark knows I just changed a lot of shit when it came to Tenten. I hope you like all the adjustments and I hope the Chinese translations aren't horrible. The formatting might be weird since I tried to keep the accents in. If I learned anything from two years of Spanish in high school, its' that accents matter. I'm sure it's the same in any different language. So here are the translations and all of Xin's video game character references.

 _Bǎohù nǐ de chúnjié_ _\- Protect thy pure_

 _shuǐjīng bǐng - Crystal Cake,_

 _Chúncuì de yīgè_ \- Pure one

 _Chun-Li - Capcom's Street Fighter_

 _Xianghua - Namco's Soul Calibur_

 _Lei-Fang - Tecmo's Dead or Alive_

 _Ling Xiaoyu - Namco's Tekken_

 _Litchie Faye-Ling - Arc System Works' BlazBlue_

Tenten's enchantress outfit is mostly inspired by Chun-Li and Lei-Fang's outfits. Xin's being stereotypical in the sense that all fictional Chinese characters usually dress in the same fashion, notably the women. I don't think Tenten's outfit is as revealing as any of these ladies' outfits though, not that their outfits are a bad thing. They're badass. Except for Xiaoyu, I was never fond of her but some of yall who've read SOC know that I'm quite fond of fighting video games and I tend to draw inspiration by the women in those games. Again, like Dragon's Way, I hope none of this offends anyone and if the translations are wrong, please, let me know!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update. As always, I appreciate each and every one of you. Please, drop a review, favorite and follow and I'll see you next update.


	6. Nothing was the same

"How was your weekend, Xin?"

"Fine, why?"

Moegi smiled in a confused manner at the older woman. "Because you were off for the entire weekend?" She said slowly, noticing Xin's twitchy movements. "Are you okay, Xin? What's the matter with you? You're acting odd. Well, more odd than usual. You look like you did a whole line of crack."

Xin turned to her coworker, frowning tightly. "You know I don't do drugs but I am considering it, She gripped quietly. Moegi chuckled, not taking the older woman seriously. She had no idea how serious Xin's words were. After she recovered, she'd requested that her friends give her some space. She wasn't sure how to feel towards them. They were different. They weren't human. Well, technically Tenten was a human but was blessed. Same shit, in her opinion.

She wasn't exactly angry with them, she just didn't know how to feel about it. Up until a month ago, folklore was exactly that. _Lore._ Not only was it very real, her friends were among them. How the fuck was she supposed to act now that she knew Karin was a fuckin' fox demon and Suigetsu was some sort of humanoid shark thing?

A fuckin' _shark._ How the fuck did that even work? Sharks needed water. Sharks had gills. How the fuck was he breathing? Where was his gills? Did he transform into some freaky science experiment hybrid? And just what the fuck was Tenten hiding? She knew Tenten was keeping something from her. Tenten couldn't lie that well, at least not to Xin. Everyone had certain ticks when they lie and Xin noticed all of Tenten's ticks when she said she had nothing to tell them.

Did she even have room to talk? She was hiding her knowledge of Gaara from Tenten and she didn't even know why, really. Granted, she did tell Tenten that she hit him with a car but she did it in such a nonchalant way that Tenten didn't believe her. Tenten could've used her freaky magic to cast some sort of spell to keep him away. So why not tell the enchantress? Was that on purpose? She didn't want to say for sure.

And speaking of cars, her fuckin' car was totaled. How in the blue fuck was she supposed to explain that to her parents? Not that she was obligated to call them up and tell them but her parents were nosy as fuck. Xin had no qualms lying to them, her teen years was full of her telling bold faced lies. But her parents learned to usually ask Hinata anything they asked Xin. Hinata couldn't lie as well as her rebellious sister.

For fuck sakes, she _just_ got it back. Literally, she'd gotten it back Friday morning only to have it crushed Friday night. What the hell did she even do to warrant an attack like that? None of her lying ass folklore friends had any answers as to why that thing tried to kill them. Not that she believed any of them. Despite their innocent faces, both Hinata and Xin had the makings to both be ruthless businesswomen. Hiashi groomed them to watch and read people. Karin and Suigetsu could lie but the twins could see right through them as easily as they saw through Tenten's words.

They were still hiding something.

"Xin? Hello?" Moegi poked at Xin's arm. Xin blinked herself out of turbulent thoughts, looking back at Moegi with a small frown. "You know I was just kidding about the drugs, right?" Moegi tried to smile jokingly but there was traces of concern in her brown eyes. "You're not _actually_ doing drugs, are you?"

"Not since I was seventeen," Xin replied dryly. Like every sheltered girl, Xin _may_ have dabbled in recreational drugs during the first months of college. She wasn't entirely fond of the aftermath of it and promptly left it alone.

"That's not funny," Moegi huffed. "I'm actually worried about you, Xin. You've been acting odd all morning," Moegi reaffirmed, twisting a lock of her hair. She watched as Xin sighed heavily before roughly running her fingers through locks of midnight blue.

"I'm fine, really. Just had an off weekend," Xin reassured the younger girl before the door flapped open. Their co-worker, a mean spirited girl around Moegi's age stuck her head into the back kitchen.

"I'd hate to interrupt," Ami began to say with a hard scowl. "Because _some_ of us are actually working hard but there's a _paying_ customer whose requesting to speak with you, Hyuga," She stated nastily. Xin didn't know what was up with the purple-haired girl but they'd never gotten along. Moegi went to high school with the girl and apparently she was a bully. It didn't seem like the girl had done much changing.

Xin and Moegi stared at the girl. "Yes because working the cash register is _so_ hard in between rush hour," Xin rolled her eyes and approached the girl. Ami's scowl became even more twisted. "That new haircut makes your face look fat," Xin commented blankly about the asymmetrical haircut. Ami audibly gasped but Xin shoved past her, ignoring Moegi's laughter.

She stepped to the front of the bakery only to pause in her tracks at the door. Leaning casually against the glass counter was the man who'd been stalking her for maybe a week straight. His companion wasn't with him but that didn't make Xin feel any better. He noticed her immediately, eyes lighting up in recognition. He offered a polite smile but Xin didn't move from her spot. "Uh, hi," He waved awkwardly. "Xin, right?" He asked in a polite tone. For a second she wondered how the fuck he knew her name but then she remembered Hinata calling her name during their confrontation two weeks ago. "Listen, I'm not here to hurt you. I'd just like to talk to you."

Xin eyed him suspiciously but moved from around the counter when Ami reemerged from the back, still obviously upset from Xin's comment. "I'm going to take a short break, Kogure," She told Ami, not waiting for the younger girl's complaints. She strayed by the tall man towards one of the tables. The bakery was mostly deserted but there was some patrons scattered about here and there. Plus Ami was at the cash register so the man probably wouldn't cause a scene.

Xin probably would.

"It's only fair for you to know that I box and I know a bit of MMA," She stated immediately while dropping in the brightly colored chair. The brunet gave her a funny look and slowly sat down across from her. He placed his hands on the table.

"I think I could handle you."

"I think I could stab you in the eye with a plastic fork."

He seemed just a bit disturbed by her very casual threat. "Uh….right…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen, Xin, was it?" He asked, despite already asking for her and asking if that was correct already. She leveled him with an unimpressed look. "Stupid question…" He laughed awkwardly. "I'm Jura, if you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

"Course not," His laughter was less awkward this time. "I wanted to talk to you about our….run-in two weeks ago."

"It wasn't a run-in. Those are random. You two were stalking us. You can't accidentally stalk or randomly run into a person. That's not how that works."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have quite a sharp tongue?"

"Frequently."

"By your boyfriend?"

"By Satan."

Jura laughed again, big shoulders shaking in his mirth. Xin almost cracked a smile but held her stony composure. This guy was a fuckin' stalker. "You're a clever girl, aren't you?" He asked after getting himself under control. Xin's expression remained stony. "Alright, I can see you're not in a joking mood."

"Who would be in the presence of their stalker?"

"Listen, Xin, that was just a misunderstanding. We've been looking for a...friend of mine. I thought I might have seen him with you. That's why we were hanging around your apartment."

"A friend of yours…" Xin trailed off, eyebrows raised. "I don't think I know any of your friends," She said slowly, folding her arms across her chest. "My circle of friends is pretty tight. Anyone they know I know."

"Perhaps it was your sister."

"Perhaps," Xin didn't sound convinced. "Your friend doesn't have a phone you could contact him on? It's hard to find anyone without a cellphone these days…" Xin mused blandly. "If this friend of yours has to be searched for, maybe he doesn't want to be bothered in the first place."

"My friend is in involved in a very... _delicate_ situation. He needs to be bothered."

"Delicate? What, is he a Yakuza Boss? Ringleader of a crime syndicate?"

"Xin, I mean no disrespect when I say this…" Jura looked off towards the side. Something outside of the large windows flickered, causing Xin to follow the look. She didn't turn her head, allowing her eyes to stray to the side. Just outside, she noticed Matsuri hurry away. She frowned tightly and wondered if it would be worth it to go punch her. "But that's none of your business," Jura said once he noticed Xin's attention elsewhere.

The corner of Xin's lips pulled into a smirk. "Well then, I suppose we have nothing left to talk about," She started to rise. Jura reached for her, halting her movements.

"Xin," He uttered seriously. "I hope you aren't lying. My friend is a dangerous person. It would do you some good not to get involved with him."

Xin stared down at him, eyes hardened. Her smirk dropped in favor of lips stressed into a line. "It would do _you_ some good not to get involved with _me_ ," She whispered ominously before yanking her hand away. "Thank you, please have a nice day and come again."

* * *

"Open this damn door, Hyuga!"

Xin blankly stared down the hall towards the front door, frowning. Hinata poked her head out of the kitchen, an identical frown on her face. "I think Karin wants to come inside," She said after a moment of Karin's loud pounding. Xin sighed and rolled her eyes. "Xin, I know you're upset about this. I am too but at the end of the day, they are our friends."

The younger twin sighed heavily and got up. "What's she knocking on the door for? She probably has mutant strength to knock the shit down."

"Because that's uncivilized. And please at least _try_ to watch your mouth," Hinata shook her head and went back to the kitchen. Xin waved her sister's grievances away as she neared the front door. Karin was oddly quiet on the other side, partially leading Xin to believe that the redhead had given up and gone home.

"I know you can hear me, Hyuga!"

"The Emperor of Japan can hear you," Xin scowled while swinging her front door open. "Shut the hell up before someone reports me for noise," She snapped at the taller redhead. Karin only glared down at her before shoving her way into Xin's apartment.

"Look here, Hyuga, we left you alone like you asked and haven't seen you since Friday. Don't you think you're being a bit ridiculous?" Karin swept down the hallway with Xin hot on her heels.

"I think you're the ridiculous one for hiding the fact that you're a fuckin' _Pokémon_."

"What're you, seven?"

"Fuck off, Ninetales."

Karin pinched the bridge of her nose but continued on her way into the kitchen. "Hi, Hina," She greeted the younger twin, smiling when Hinata turned towards her. Hinata smiled slowly, still not sure how to feel about their friends' revelations. Even so, she decided to be more mature than her sister. She had to see the logic in her friends' secrecy. Things like this wasn't supposed to exist. No blessings by dragons and demons and enchantments. Those things didn't exist. It wasn't supposed to exist. Humans could be evil, judgemental creatures. If Humans found about the existence of the supernatural, it could be troublesome.

"Karin," Hinata greeted politely. Karin smiled softly at the older twin. "It's nice to see you, how are you?" She asked kindly. Yes, she was upset but she also saw their side. Her sister was just being difficult because that was just Xin.

"I'm fine, how are you? May I sit?" her eyes dart towards the kitchen table and Hinata numbly realizes that her eyes are the color of blood. They're more sinister looking than she remembered, less the color of cherries and apples and more so the color of blood. She and Xin always assumed they were contact lenses and Karin never bothered to correct them. Now that she thought about it, why would Karin need contact lenses if she wore glasses?

"I'm doing fine," Hinata nods. "And of course you can sit," She motioned to the chair. She's never had to ask before to sit down. She's not even sure she remembers the last time Karin knocked on the door. It wasn't locked.

Karin does so, looking slightly uncomfortable. Xin is shamelessly eyeing her, arms folded across her chest from her position from the doorway of the kitchen. "Well, Vulpix, you came here for a reason."

The redhead sighed heavily, sliding her glasses from her face to rub at her eyes. Hinata wondered if the glasses were even real. "Do you know the history of your family?"

Xin crossed the kitchen towards the oven. Whatever the Hyuga sisters are currently cooking smells good. Karin hasn't had any of their cooking for awhile, living off of takeout and Dragon's Way food since Xin decided the two of them needed space. "What's there to know?" Xin asked impassively. There's _so_ much to know, so much they don't know. If they did know about their family, then they'd know all about the supernatural. But Hiashi and Manami decided to keep their daughters sheltered from the truth. Karin never agreed with the couple's decision, leading to an icy relationship between them.

She missed Jun and Junko. She missed Ruolan. But they've been gone for so long, for years and yet she's still here, carrying out a promise she wished she'd never made. She found herself wishing she perished along with Jun and Junko. Or dying of old age with Ruolan. "You should really ask your parents about your family's history. About the night you were born. About…" She almost speaks of Jun and Junko. But Ruolan's parting words reemerge, reminding her that it's not her place to tell the twins about _anything._ "About the truth. Tell them to tell you the truth."

The sisters are quiet, contemplating Karin's words. "Where's Sharkbait, Delphox?" Xin veered off topic. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about whatever Karin was hinting at. It irked Karin's nerves how they constantly skirted the truth but she's planted the seed. She knows Xin. She's like Jun, she's terribly curious.

"Stop with the stupid nicknames, Hyuga."

"Does it bother you, Abra?"

Karin closed her eyes and rubbed at them again. "Sui thought it would be best if we came around separately. That gives you two a chance to let it all sink in one at a time."

It made sense, Xin guessed. She's not sure how'd she feel about the three of them sitting at her table, trying to act like everything is normal. Suigetsu is thoughtful in a way that Karin is not. "How old are you, Karin?" Hinata suddenly prompted. Xin turned to the redhead, head tilted to the side. That was a good question. Karin was supposedly two years older than the twins.

"Far older than I look," Karin uttered simply. "I was very close friends with Ruolan."

"Ruolan...that was Tenten's _great_ -grandmother that died fourteen years ago. _That_ Ruolan?"

"Ruolan lived an exceptionally long life for a human."

"Karin, how _old_ are you?"

"I don't remember," Karin spoke evenly. Neither of them look convinced. She didn't really bother trying to convince them. "Demons age very slowly," She said shortly. "Sui and I have seen a lot before we met the three of you."

Hinata nodded, soaking in the little information Karin shared. "Do you have family?"

"My parents have been dead for decades. My mom's younger sister raised me. She has a son that's about my age. He's an idiot but he's lovable. I think Xin would get along with him. Birds of a feather."

"Fuck you, Flareon."

Karin tried to be angry but the fact that Xin insisted on referring to her as fox-based _Pokémon_ was actually funny. She wondered how the younger woman could even remember all the different pocket monsters. Tenten warned her that Xin would find a way to tease her kitsune heritage just like she teased Tenten's Chinese origin. She wanted to be annoyed with Xin's ways but found that she just couldn't. Besides, she knew Xin often used humor as a coping method.

She watched Xin putter around the stove, ignorant as to what was in store for her. Xiurong's words blared loudly in her ears, reminding of the chaotic future her crystal ball showed her. It wasn't specific to Xin's future plight but the warning was enough. Xiurong's crystal ball specialized into predictions but they never were solid predictions. She hoped it's latest prediction was wrong but they never were.

The latest telling was that of Xin's demise.

* * *

"She says she doesn't know anything, Matsuri. We should just leave her be."

Matsuri scowled from her spot next to Jura. "She's lying, Jura. I know a lie when I hear it," She insisted with her arms folded. "She knows Gaara. Why are you trying so hard to protect this girl? You barely know her."

"I'm not protecting her, I'm just saying that we're wasting time."

"You _are_ protecting her and we're _not_ wasting time," Matsuri replied stubbornly. "I followed that girl because Gaara's scent was clinging to her. I don't know what but that girl has _something_ to do with him," She insisted firmly. Jura roughly massaged his temples, wishing that he was back in Suna with his family. Instead he was running around the human world, searching for a runaway. They didn't even know why he was portal-hopping between the Human World and their world so frequently.

What's more, Rasa was under the impression that Gaara was still somewhere in the Demon World. He had no idea Gaara was frequenting the Human World. Jura and Matsuri were doing everything they could to keep the truth from Rasa. His siblings, however, might be catching onto the truth. Especially his sister. You could only fool that woman so much before she caught on.

"Even if we do find him, how do you know he'll even come back and _stay_ in Suna?" He asked, remembering Xin's words. If Gaara wanted them to find him, they would have already found him.

"Because he listens to me."

"Matsuri, no offense, but no he doesn't. Gaara doesn't listen to anyone," Jura reminded her somberly. "Look, I know you're upset about the separation but—"

"We are _not_ separated," Matsuri snapped shrilly. "We're together. He just needs time, a break."

Jura regarded her blankly. He wanted to tell her that that wasn't the case. Men, demon or human, did not take breaks. If they agreed to such a thing, it was only to give the woman a chance to realize on her own that the relationship was not working. Jura saw the end of the relationship from the start. They just didn't fit right. Gaara was used to having his way and Matsuri was eager to please him. There was no push and pull in their relationship. Gaara needed a woman that would push back with a temper. That's not to say Matsuri didn't have a temper. She did. Just not with Gaara.

Not that Jura really expected anyone to have a temper with him. Gaara was a particularly infamous demon. He had no qualms about killing people who irritated him. That's why he's almost positive Xin didn't interact with him. She seemed like a generally good person but her attitude when she was irritated was something fierce. Xin was special in the way of easily getting under someone's skin for her own petty satisfaction. Gaara would've killed the girl. But even so, Xin did know something. Maybe she did come across Gaara but just didn't interact with him. Maybe she knew of his supernatural background and kept her distance. He wasn't sure but he'd rather not get involved with the pintsized firecracker. He'd hate to see her killed.

Not that he'd see her again. Ironically that's what he told himself the last time they interacted. He didn't want to admit it to Matsuri or to anyone...but there was something about that girl. He felt like he was drawn to her.

"Alright, Matsuri, whatever you say," Jura decided not to invoke Matsuri's wrath. She was obviously self-conscious about the relationship. Deep down, she knew it was over. "But we're no closer to finding him. We should just give him the space he obviously wants."

"He can have all the space he needs in Suna," Matsuri shot back. Jura resisted the urge to groan. Why Matsuri was being so stubborn about this was beyond him. He got it, she loved him. She wanted things to work out and for them to get back together. She was ready to be his life mate.

Gaara just wasn't ready to be hers.

"Matsuri," He ran his fingers through his hair, sounding thoroughly fed up. "You're not listening to me at all. He doesn't want to have space in Suna. He left for a reason. I didn't come with you to drag him back to Suna."

"Then why did you come?"

"As scary as the guy is, he is my friend. I just want to make sure he's okay and that there's a reason for this. I don't care to drag him back somewhere he clearly doesn't wants to be."

"But Rasa—"

"My loyalty will always be to Gaara," Jura reminded her coldly. Matsuri's face pinched uncomfortably but Jura's stoic expression didn't twitch. "I just want to know that he's okay. Once he tells me himself, I'm going back to Suna. You're coming with me, Matsuri."

Her face turned red and a for a moment, he wondered if she would begin to cry. "I just...I just want to see him," She confessed quietly. "I want to know he's okay and that...and that everything will go back to normal."

But it won't, he wants to tell her. It's not going to go back to the way things were. Nothing would be the same.

"Yeah, I know ya do," He agrees anyway.

* * *

 _She's getting sick of these odd dreams. Granted, it was only the second odd dream she was having but hell if it wasn't annoying her. Luckily there was no red-skinned demon with a face of scars and sick smiles but there was two women present._ _They sat together in the middle of a clearing, dressed in the traditional clothes of a miko. She found that to be strange but what really threw her off was the fact that the women, whoever the hell they were, looked eerily similar to Xin and Hinata._

 _There was some subtle differences, Hinata and Xin's face was more soft while the mystery women had sharper features. Where as the twins possessed midnight blue hair, the women had jet black hair. The twins had a more friendly, childish beauty while the women had more elegance to their beauty._ _They both carried a bow and a quiver of arrows although the woman on the right with her hair drawn up into a high ponytail laid a long bō across her lap._

 _The treeline to the left rustled, interrupting the miko twins. The one with the high ponytail stood up slowly, hands twisting the bō around leisurely. The look in her eye was anything but leisure. Whoever this miko was, she was ready to straight up murder someone._

" _I told you two that it's not safe to be on your own like this," a whimsical voice floated towards them on the slight breeze. Seconds later another woman appeared, looking tall and strong. Her hair was the color of chestnuts and was twisted into a thick bun at the top of her head. A crown of Lotus Flowers were twined into her hair. She wore a light pink qipao with long sleeves that hid her hands and loose white pants._

 _The miko with the bō relaxed her shoulders but remained defensive. "And I thought I told you we don't enjoy being snuck up on, Enchantress."_

 _The enchantress only smiled. The other miko perked up and looked behind the Enchantress. "Who accompanies you, Ruolan?"_

 _Although she was not there physically, Xin felt her eyes narrow. Ruolan was the name of Tenten's great grandmother. This woman couldn't be the same. She didn't know how she knew but Xin knew whatever she was seeing happened a very long,_ _ **long**_ _time ago._

" _Oh, I have met a new friend," Ruolan told them, glancing behind her for a second. "She's a nice young girl, put your bō down, Jun."_

 _Jun. Jun? Why did that name stand out to her?_

 _Jun lowered the bō but did not heed Ruolan's suggestion. The trees rustled once more and this time, a_ _ **familiar**_ _face popped out of the forestry. She seemed a lot younger and was dressed in a simple but short lilac kimono but Xin knew that face._ _Karin stared back at the twin miko. Xin felt her stomach sink. Maybe it was just a relative of Karin. The redhead, demon or not, couldn't be that old. But even so, Xin knew those familiar cherry-red eyes._

" _Have you gone mad, Ruolan?" Jun asked icily. Her sister slowly stood to her feet but didn't take up her bow and arrows defensively. She folded petite hands in front of her and quietly studied the situation going on in front of her. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you bring a demon to us?"_

" _What's your name?" the quiet sister peered around Jun, smiling slowly._

" _Junko, now is not the time to be_ —"

" _I do not think Ruolan would bring a demon to us if that demon planned on killing us, Jun."_

" _My name is Karin."_

 _Jun and Junko. Twin priestesses who oddly resembled Xin and Hinata. Who also knew Karin and Tenten's supposedly 'great'-grandmother. Something about this dream was not adding up. And was it even a dream to begin with? Or was it some kind of weird flashback? But how could that be? How could she have a flashback that was clearly out of her time?_

 _A pink light flashed from Ruolan's hand and out sprouted a crystal ball, shades of innocent pink swirling against the glass. "Ao Ji has blessed me with the ability to foresee certain things. Lóngyǎn tells me that this girl will be a great friend and ally for years to come," Ruolan explained calmly, smiling in between the three women._

" _Is that so?" Junko came from behind Jun with a friendly smile. "Who are we to question fate?" She placed a hand on Jun's shoulder, nudging her sister. Jun looked terribly thoughtful for several seconds before a cautious smile touched her lips._

 _Smiling like that, they looked exactly like Xin and Hinata._

Xin flew up from the couch, tumbling to the floor ungraciously. Hinata stepped into the living room the moment her sister hit the floor. She stared at her heap of a sister, a soft frown on her face. "Xin? Are you alright?" She asked slowly.

She heard Xin muttering to herself before her sister popped up from the floor, looking both frazzled and angry at the same time. "Put your shoes on, we're going to Karin's!" She shouted while climbing to her feet. Xin flew by her towards her bedroom, grumbling the entire time. Hinata took a deep breath and got ready for whatever Xin was cooking up. She didn't bother to ask why Xin dragged her to Karin's apartment, tapping away at her phone the entire time.

Xin didn't even bother knocking, knowing the redhead often left her door unlocked. Between the five of them, they mostly entered each others homes without knocking, knowing they left their front doors unlocked. "You've got some explaining to do, Zorua!" Xin shouted while practically kicking the door open with her foot. Hinata face-palmed from behind her. Xin stormed into the living room with Hinata on her heels, finding Suigetsu sitting up with a look of confusion on his face.

"Zorua? As in the _Pokémon_? Who the fuck is Zorua?" He asked.

"Shut the fuck up, Jabberjaw! Where's your lying girlfriend?"

Karin came from her bedroom, looking just as confused as Suigetsu. "Who are you calling a liar, Hyuga?" She asked with a scowl. Xin turned on her just as Tenten appeared at the front door. She cautiously stepped into the apartment, wondering what the hell Xin was going off about this time. Suigetsu took notice of her and tilted his head to the side. Tenten caught his look as she closed the front door.

"Hinata said Xin was about to go off on a rampage at Karin's place," She explained carefully while coming to sit next to him. "She's also taken to calling us names. I guess she calls Karin _Pokémon_ names based off Foxes. It's actually kind of funny."

"There's nothing funny about this, Chun-Li," Xin swiveled around her, scowling angrily. "You've got some explaining to do too!" She pointed in Tenten's direction. The enchantress quirked a brow. She'd explained all she had. There was nothing left to explain. "Who the fuck is Ruolan!?"

"Ruolan? I've told you...she's my great-grandmother. She died fourteen years ago."

Xin chucked the remote at Tenten. "Lies!" She snapped. Tenten openly gaped at her, dodging out of the way of the airborne device. "Who the fuck is Ruolan? Lie again so I can throw something harder!" Xin threatened shrilly. Hinata, who'd gone over to sit with Tenten and Suigetsu, backtracked. She decided the safest place to stand would be closer to her enraged sister. Whatever Xin saw in her dream she kept mumbling about was enough to set her off. She usually didn't use violence against Tenten.

"What are you talking about you midget?" Karin waved her arms in annoyance.

"How old were you when you met Ruolan, Karin?" Xin turned her blazing eyes on her. "Who the fuck is Jun and Junko?" She kept shooting questions off, not taking notice of any of their reactions when she mentioned Jun and Junko. " _Lóngyǎn_ told Ruolan you'd be a great ally and friend to them for years to come, didn't it?" She noticed of Karin's ashen pallor. "Who did Ao Ji bless, Tenten? Was it Ruolan? Who were those miko twins that looked a helluva lot like me and Hinata, huh?"

Karin and Tenten looked in between each other. "Who were they to question fate?" Xin asked slowly, watching Karin's eyes nearly pop out of her head. Suigetsu and Hinata remained quiet the entire time, looking in between the arguing women. She hadn't turned on either of them so they would remain quiet. "What are you hiding from us?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"How do you know all of that?" Karin slowly approached the enraged Hyuga. "Who told you about that? How do you know about that day? What are _you_ hiding?" Karin's pupils thinned into slits. Hinata grabbed Xin's arm and readied herself for the confrontation to get physical. Xin was angry. Karin was getting angry. They had explosive tempers and if Xin was willing to throw things at them, it could get physical.

"Tell me who those women were."

"We can't," Tenten slowly stood up. She placed herself in between them. "We can't explain everything. I'll tell you who Ruolan is and Karin can tell you how old she is if she wants but we cannot tell you about the miko twins."

Xin's eyes narrowed and her jaw ticked. Hinata came around to Xin's front, grabbing her by the wrists. "Sit down, Xin," She said calmly but in a voice that left no room for argument. "Sit down and we can all talk about this like adults. No more shouting and no more throwing things," She spoke firmly, knowing Xin wouldn't listen otherwise. Xin stiffly allowed Hinata to lead her to the loveseat. They settled down on it with Hinata pulling Xin's hands into her lap. Xin couldn't be trusted. Her temper was short and violent and she was generally unpredictable in a state like this. Tenten and Karin exchanged silent looks before settling with Suigetsu. He reached over and grabbed Karin's hand, caressing it in an attempt to soothe her rattled temper.

"I'm…." Karin opened and closed her mouth, frowning tightly. "I'm...I'm over five-hundred years old," Karin said slowly, watching the twins' reactions. Hinata seemed generally surprised but Xin didn't offer any reaction. Her eyes narrowed slightly but she remained quiet. "I was drawn to a Chinese Enchantress when I wandered away from my mother one day."

"Ruolan."

"Yes, I met Ruolan that day and she told me it was fate that I meet her. She took me to meet the miko twins."

"We cannot tell you of the miko twins, it's against the enchantments. You have to figure that out on your own," Tenten stated before Karin could accidentally speak of Jun and Junko. The frustration was evident on Xin's face. "Ao Ji blessed Ruolan and the rest of the Shào family when she was nine. She met Karin and the miko twins when she was twenty-one."

"You met Tenten's great-grandmother five hundred years ago?" Hinata looked back at Karin.

"Yes...and no. Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I suppose that would depend on what you say next," Hinata replied in a surprisingly dry voice.

"Ruolan really did live a long life and was eventually reincarnated as Tenten's great-grandmother. She also lived a long life, most likely due to having the original Ruolan's soul. She searched for the two of you but was reincarnated too early and died before Tenten and I could become your friends."

Xin slowly pulled her hands from Hinata's lap to hold her face. She leaned back into the couch and let out a long-suffering groan from in between her hands. "This sounds like a fuckin' manga, Jesus fuckin' Christ," She complained into her palms. "It's like a psychotic blend of _Fushigi Yûgi_ and _InuYasha_ , oh my God, I didn't ask for this."

"I don't think any of us asked for this, drama queen," Suigetsu snorted.

"Fuck off, Kenny the Shark."

Unlike Karin and Tenten, Suigetsu found Xin's references to be quite funny. A big smile broke across his lips, showing regular teeth. He leaned his head back and let out a boisterous laugh. "Well listen, Princess, they explained themselves. How about ya explain yer side."

Xin's hands dropped to her lap. She regarded the supernatural trio quietly, nearly pouting. "I've been having…. _dreams_ lately…" She started to say. She wasn't exactly sure that they were dreams. The second one seemed like a flashback but the first one…...she didn't know what the hell that was. "The one I just had now...I think it was a flashback. I saw Karin with Ruolan and the miko twins. Jun..Jun was upset with Ruolan that she brought a demon to them but Junko gave her a chance. Jun looked like she was ready to straight up murder a motherfucker."

Karin laughed but it sounded hollow and broken. "Yes….at the time….demons and humans did not really coincide peacefully. Although for a miko, she was rather violent with that damn bō. Even worse with those arrows of her's…."

"Demons and humans don't coincide at all now...do they?" Hinata asked slowly. Xin stilled next to her but no one really seemed to notice. She thought of Gaara and his odd portal to Hell. She looked at Suigetsu and Karin and wondered if they were from Hell. Gaara certainly seemed like he was from Hell.

"Not really. Demons mostly stick to the Demon World."

"There's a Demon World?"

"Of course," Karin nodded her head. "Demons and humans were never meant to interact. Some demons are powerful enough to conjure up portals between this world and the Demon Realm."

"And Hell?" Xin asked innocently.

Karin eyed her suspiciously but nodded once more. "Yes, we can also travel to Hell but we often try not to. The Ruler likes to trap demons there for fun," Karin explained flatly. Well that was new. The Ruler, whoever that may be, obviously had a twisted sense of humor. "The Demon World is a lot like the Human World. We have cities, smaller villages, countries."

"What country are you two from?"

"My family is from the Land of Fire and Sui is from the Land of Water."

"Is the land on fire or some shit? They couldn't think of a better name to name a country? Are they being literal or were they trying to be funny?"

Suigetsu snorted at Xin. "Nah, it's not literally on fire. It just has bright and warm weather. The Land of Water is mostly made up of islands and has cooler, misty weather," Suigetsu explained with a grin. Xin found herself wondering where Gaara was from. She was still positive he was from Hell.

"Can you conjure portals up?"

Karin looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yes but I don't do it too often. It takes a lot out of me. If I need to go home, someone else will usually conjure one up. If Sui and I combine our power, it's much easier. I only visit sporadically to see my aunt and cousin."

"What about you, Sui? Do you have family you like to visit?" Hinata prompted, obviously curious about their lives. Xin remained quiet, slightly disturbed when she realized Gaara had easily conjured up portals at least three times on his own. Did that mean he had immense power? He sure as hell didn't seem so with that blessed dagger sticking out of his thigh. She vaguely wondered if Sui and Karin knew Gaara.

"Just my brother and adoptive older cousins. My parents have been dead for a very long time. I never met them but my brother said they were good demons."

Xin wondered what made a demon 'good'. Weren't they all abominations? Weren't they all evil spirits meant for the bowels of Hell? What made them good? Xin stared at her two friends. They were demons, did that make them evil? Were they good? Who were they in the demon realm? What about Gaara? He seemed befitting of the definition. He seemed cruel and angry. Was he actually bad though? Was he good? What kind of demon was he in their realm? He _had_ to be evil. He'd hurt her, more than once, and even told her that he _killed_ someone. Granted, that person tried to kill him first but was it out of defense?

"Xin? Ya okay there? Ya look like ya got something heavy on yer' mind," Suigetsu noticed Xin's odd silence. Her face was balled up in thought and he mistook it as her thinking about everything just revealed to the twins. Xin blinked at him and opened her mouth, the sound of Gaara's name on the tip of her tongue.

"It's just odd knowing there's an entirely different realm besides ours," She said, swallowing the mention of Gaara. For some reason she couldn't explain, she still wanted to keep his existence to just herself. And Hinata. Besides, he hadn't shown up in days. Perhaps he'd finally grown bored with their odd relationship and moved on. Maybe there was no need to mention him.

"We should probably head home," Hinata said first, standing to her feet. "I apologize for the way we came in but I'm glad we could all be truthful with one another," She smiled at her friends while pulling Xin to her feet. The five of them exchanged goodbyes and the Hyuga twins were off. Hinata wrapped her arm around her sister's arm, walking close to her side. "I suppose we'll have to visit Mom and Dad soon. Or maybe our grandparents. I want to know about Jun and Junko and why they're such a secret," Hinata said once they were a good distance away from Karin's apartment building.

"Do you?" Xin asked, honestly surprised. She thought that after meeting Gaara, Hinata wanted nothing to do with the supernatural business. Perhaps with all the odd occurrences going on around them, her interest was piqued. And how did they know their parents knew anything? Karin's words from earlier came back, urging them to ask their parents to tell them the truth. What the hell were _they_ hiding?

"I do. You know what I found odd about today?"

"You found one thing that stuck out to you during this entire mess?"

Hinata smiled wryly and shook her head at her sister's question. "I found it odd when Karin said Ruolan died again before she could find us or before Tenten and Karin became our friend. Why would Ruolan be looking for us?" Hinata asked seriously. Xin came to a pause, tilting her head to the side in thought. Her sister made a very good, valid point. Why would Ruolan search for them? And why would it make a difference if Karin and Tenten befriended them or not? Even when they were telling them the truth, the trio still had their secrets.

It was definitely time to pay their parents a visit.

* * *

TeeBeMe: I giggled every time Xin called Karin a _Pokémon._ Did yall know Abra, Kadabra and Alakazam are partially based on foxes? I didn't know that. And goats but whatever. I'm pretty sure yall know each nickname Xin came up with for Karin was based off of a _Pokémon_ with fox features or based off ones with fox origins. Jabberjaw and Kenny the Shark are two children's shows with sharks as the main characters. Both shows were short-lived.

No Gaara this time around but he'll be back, I promise! He does eventually fall for Xin. Or does he? Who knows, maybe he falls for Matsuri instead lol. On a serious note, this story is rated T but I'm pretty sure this story is going to be as dark as SOC. Maybe no sexual content but violence and gore are within it's future. Should I change it to rated M. Let me know what you guys are comfortable with. I don't want to make any mistakes again. Also, yes, I'm drawing a lot of inspiration from _InuYasha_ but Whispers in the Dark was about demons and miko.

 _Lóngyǎn - Dragon's Eye_ (I'm hella unoriginal lol)

Till next time.


	7. Suddenly I see

The following weekend, Hinata and Xin headed to their parents' home. Manami was excited to see her daughters but wondered why she had to send a car for them. She was certain Hanabi mentioned Xin getting her car back last weekend. Even so, she decided not to question her daughters. The twins found in her bedroom, lounging on the chaise. Xin immediately looked uncomfortable, eyes roving over the large bedroom as if she'd never seen it before. Manami jumped up from the chaise, smiling fondly. "Girls! It's wonderful to see you," She beamed happily and came at them, wrapping her arms tightly around the two. "I've missed you so much. The house is so quiet now that you've both moved out. I think Hana is lonely."

"No I'm not," Hanabi called into the room as she swept by the bedroom. "I'm going to my piano lessons, I'll be home in two hours!" Hanabi announced to Manami. Xin watched her sister go with blank eyes.

"You're not going to ask her twenty questions like you asked me every time I set foot out the door?"

"No," Manami continued to smile fondly. "Every time you stepped foot out of the door, I had to come pick you up from the authorities."

Xin grinned widely and stepped back from her embrace. "Can't say you didn't have fun," She sung loudly while taking Manami's seat at the chaise. "We need to talk to you about something important, Mom," Xin said carefully, wondering how the hell she was supposed to approach the situation. Hinata joined her on the chaise, leaving Manami to sit on the edge of the California king bed.

"Did anything odd happen the night we were born?" Hinata asked up front, remembering Karin's urging. "Anything out of the ordinary?" She pressed, watching as Manami looked thoughtful. Xin glanced at Hinata, slightly impressed that she had pressed on when she didn't know how to ask Manami. She tapped her bottom lip and frowned.

"A snowstorm? You girls already know that."

Xin let out an impatient sigh. "I hit a demon with my car," She stated in a flat voice. Manami stared back at her, looking quite pale. "He says there's something weird about me. Last weekend, we were attacked and nearly killed by this other demon. Tenten came to our rescue because apparently her family comes from a long line of Chinese Enchantresses."

Manami continued to stare at her daughters, looking back and forth between them. Hinata and Xin remained impassive, looking like statues. Manami's eyebrows drew together and her mouth pinched. "Xin, I thought you were done with the wild stories when you were a child," She said slowly, not blinking. Xin's composure stuttered and she tilted her head to the side. "You had therapy and we moved passed all the lies."

"Therapy?" Hinata parroted first. "What are you talking about? You put her in therapy?" She looked at her sister, trying hard to remember when Xin had therapy. She blinked hard and suddenly, she could hear her sister's high pitched voice when they were about four, maybe five.

 _"Mama, the fox girl came back! Did you see her today? The fox girl with the red hair!"_

Hinata blinked hard and then shook her head before a look of surprise crossed her face. "You met Karin before, when we were kids!" She suddenly realized with wide eyes. Xin looked back at her, severely lost. Whatever her mother and sister remembered was lost on her.

"Wait, you put me in therapy?" Xin asked in disbelief.

Manami was stony-faced. "You were seeing things that weren't there, dear. You had an overactive imagination. It was worrisome to hear you talk about girls with fox ears. Those things don't exist."

Hinata hoped Xin wouldn't start throwing things like she threw that remote controller at Tenten. "You're lying," Xin uttered evenly. Manami turned her head slightly, as if she couldn't believe Xin's accusation.

"You watch your mouth," Manami spoke slowly in a warning tone. It was unnerving to witness her reaction. Growing up, the girls were used to Hiashi scolding them. Manami mostly stayed quiet and gently intervened when the arguments got to be too much. "I do not enjoy being called a liar by my child in my own home. Watch your mouth," Manami warned her with a firm voice.

"Then stop lying," Xin shot back just as firmly. "I didn't have an overactive imagination. Demons exist. I was almost killed twice by two different demons. Karin and Suigetsu are demons," Xin's voice began to rise. "Tell me the truth about the night of our birth. Tell us about Jun and Junko."

"Who told you about Jun and Junko?"

"I had a dream about them," Xin replied quickly. Manami's eyes hardened but Xin didn't back down. "Miko twins that looked a lot like the two of us. Tenten said it was against the enchantments for them to tell us about them. I'm guessing that was Ruolan's doing? What's the big secret, Mom? What are we?"

Manami began twisting her fingers together, rumpling her blouse. She looked to the left and began to mutter to herself. Her shoulders sagged and for once, they watched their mother lose her composure. She suddenly looked so sad and tired. And scared. Fear was evident in her eyes when she turned to look back at her. "We wanted to keep you away from all of this," Manami finally said after a stretch of silence. She bit her bottom lip, chewing on the appendage anxiously. "I don't even know how to start…" She twisted her fingers harder. "Just..try to keep an open mind, okay?"

Hinata and Xin exchanged unimpressed looks. They were dealing with demons, Enchanters and there was an entirely different realm that existed. What could possibly surprise them at this point?

"The Hyuga family comes from a long line of priestesses, from your Father's side. You girls remember those old tales of the Hyuga family descending from the Goddess, Kaguya-hime?"

There was an old, tall tale among the Hyuga family. It was said that they were born from Kaguya-hime in the image of the night. Dark hair pulled from the sky, pale skin bathed from twinkling stars and eyes of the moon. It was just some old tale told at bedtime but perhaps there was some truth to the story since Manami was bringing it up all of a sudden.

"Those tales are true…" Manami trailed off, waiting for surprised outbursts. None came but the girls did look a little caught off guard. It was often said that Kaguya-hime eventually went mad with power and was sealed into the moon by her sons and kept under heavy guard and watch by Tsukiyomi-no-Mikoto. There was a running gag in the Hyuga family that Xin inherited Kaguya's temper. It wasn't so funny anymore. "Back in the days when there wasn't anything to keep the humans and supernatural separated, miko were appointed to each settlement and village. They were blessed with mystical powers in order to protect their villages from evil. About five hundred or so years ago...during the Sengoku Period...or the Azuchi-Momoyama Period...I'm not sure...miko twins were born to a settlement on the night of a full moon. That was...out of the ordinary."

"Jun and Junko," Xin said simply. Manami looked straight at her with eyes full of sadness and heartache. For one reason or another, Xin's stomach began to sink. Whatever their mother was about to tell them was not going to sit right with them. She instantly regretted coming over here. The next time she saw Karin, she was going to punch her in the neck.

"They were phenomenal priestesses, as kind as they were fierce. They befriended and came under the protection of a Chinese enchantress, Ruolan and a fox-demon," Manami's mouth twisted at the mention of the fox demon. "They were destined for great things but something went wrong and both priestesses met an untimely end."

Well, they weren't expecting that.

"Ruolan foretold of their eventual reincarnation and placed several enchantments on their eventual reincarnations to protect them from demons and from themselves. The fox demon and another demon she eventually discovered, promised to search for their reincarnations and protect them as the fox demon had done before. Ruolan was eventually reborn once more and mistook Hiashi and Hizashi for Jun and Junko's souls reborn. The Hyuga hadn't borne twins since Jun and Junko. I'm sure that mostly had to do with Ruolan's meddling. For a long time, it was thought Jun and Junko would never manifest….

And then I had the two of you on the night of the full moon during a terrible snowstorm. I hoped and prayed that it wouldn't be the two of you. I did everything in my power to keep them away from you."

They weren't expecting that tidbit either. Manami always seemed calm and placating during their childhood. This fiercely protective woman sitting in front of them was someone entirely different. Her face was set in a mask of stone. "Karin eventually found you two when you were about three. I was furious and my mother suggested that I pass her existence off as Xin's imagination running wild. You eventually suppressed the memories but there wasn't anything I could do when she posed as a high school student…"

Manami allowed the new information to sink in. It seemed...unbelievable. Xin wanted to laugh at her mother's story. Was she really supposed to believe all of this? Maybe she was in a coma. It made a lot more sense than her life these last couple of weeks.

"So you're telling me that our family descended from a psychotic Goddess sealed into the moon and that two dead priestesses have been reborn into the two of us. And what's more...a dead enchantress cast some spell to protect us from the truth? Is that right?" Xin asked slowly, trying to figure out if she should have her mother committed to a psychiatric ward.

"Despite the fact that I was almost murdered by a demon just last week, this sounds a bit far-fetched, Mom," Hinata finally spoke up when words failed her sister. That was a surprise. The new revelation must have really left Xin speechless. She was notorious for her motormouth.

"You wanted me to tell you truth and I did," Manami answered firmly. "But you listen and you listen well," Her voice took on a grave tone. "Ruolan placed enchantments on the two of you to protect you. The blood and flesh of a priestess is pure and was often sought out by demons to consume. I don't know the specifics of the enchantments as they were in Mandarin and destroyed sometime in the early 1700s," She told them, eyes like ice.

"With you knowing of your past and your inheritance, the enchantments are likely broken. I..I don't know what will happen now. Your father and I...we can't protect you from whatever comes after you. I…" Manami rung her hands together nervously. "Your best bet of safety is staying close with...Karin, Suigetsu and Tenten," She seemed loathed to admit such a thing. Xin wondered exactly what the beef was. Manami knew the trio since they met in high school and always treated them fairly. What was different now?

"I wasn't expecting any of this," Xin leaned back with her hands pressed against her face. "This is like some whacked out tv show. This can't be real."

Manami frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, dear. I..from the day you two were born, we did everything we could to keep you from this. I suppose we cannot defy or question fate."

"Yes…" Hinata mused quietly. "Who are we to question fate…?"

* * *

"Why don't you mention Gaara to anyone?"

Xin paused in the middle of cooking, hands tightening around the knife. Since returning to their apartment, they steadily avoiding talking about the supernatural. Their mother's revelation, although slightly unbelievable, had shaken them to the core. She looked towards her sister, frowning softly. A look of sadness was evident in her big eyes. "I don't know, sis," She admitted tiredly. "I haven't seen him for a long time, maybe he's gone for good. I didn't think it was necessary."

"It might be...what with Mom told us. He's probably not safe to be around."

Xin's frown deepened and Hinata wondered if her statement about Gaara offended her sister. "I'm sorry about all of this, sis. I shouldn't have let you move in with me. You would have still been under Ruolan's freaky enchantments," Xin confessed sadly. She dropped her head to her chest and took a shuddering breath. Hinata thought she heard her mumble something about Hiashi being right.

Something in Hinata settled. It was true that if Xin refused Hinata's request to move in, she'd probably still be safe from...whatever. But that just meant Xin would have to go through this ordeal alone. The thought of that upset her. Her sister was tough but there's only so much a person could take alone. "You don't have to apologize, Xin. This situation is not...ideal or even normal but it's better than we're going through it together. It will always be you and me," Hinata brushed her hand against Xin's shoulder.

Xin smiled slowly and then shook her head. "Man, this has got to be the craziest thing I've ever gotten us into. Demons, dragon magicians and dead miko. What in the blue fuck…"

"To be fair, you didn't get us into it, per say. Maybe just jump started it. How were we supposed to know about any of this?"

A sigh rattled Xin's shoulders. "There's something I need to tell you," She uttered, watching as Hinata turned towards her. "When I met Gaara, he tried to kill me. He tried to strangle me with his hands and then his...energy, I don't really know. I was choking on it and then I felt something really...pure in my chest. It chased his energy out and that's why Gaara stuck around. He wanted to know what it was."

Hinata was quiet for several seconds. "I suppose we should be glad Jun protected you then, hm?"

"You think that was her?"

"You have her soul, why not?"

"That's kind of freaky, in hindsight."

The elder sister laughed and shook her head. "This entire situation is freaky, to be honest. But like I said, I'd rather we go through it together. We're stronger that way, don't you think?"

Xin couldn't answer, interrupted by a quick knock at the door. She paused, looking in the direction of the front door before sighing. Armed with her knife, she made her way to the door with Hinata. She tilted on the tips of her toes, straining to see through the peephole. Hinata pressed against her back, fingers curled into her tank top to pull her backwards should anything happen.

"Ah, false alarm," Xin settled back onto her feet. "It's just Jabberjaw, Flareon and Chun-Li," She grinned while Hinata sighed in relief, backing up to let Xin open the door.

"Do you always answer the door armed with a knife?" Tenten asked when the door swung open to reveal the twins. The last thing any of them were expecting was Xin wielding a knife. Xin grinned even wider at her, seemingly over her annoyance with all their secret keeping.

"The last time someone knocked on the door, Hinata almost got her head smashed in," Xin replied wanly. She stepped out of the way, letting them in. "Guess you guys are staying for dinner, huh?"

Suigetsu ambled closer to her, hands shoved in his pockets. "If ya insist," He leered down at her, grinning lazily. Xin rolled her eyes and pointed the tip of the knife at his chin. That seemed to greatly amuse him but he backed off. He followed after the gaggle of women, settling at the dining room table. Karin helped Hinata set the table while Xin went to the kitchen. Suigetsu got up to help her with the food and drinks.

Tente looked slightly uncomfortable once they were all settled at the dining room table. "Manami called me," She finally said, unable to hold it in. Hinata and Xin paused, both eyeing her quietly.

"Yeah? About what?"

"Xin, I don't think you realize what the two of you had done," Tenten said seriously. Karin and Suigetsu sat rigidly, disappointed that Tenten brought up her concerns so early in their visit. Couldn't they at least get settled first? Suigetsu reached for the steaming pot in the middle of the table, pulling it out of Xin's reach. Xin had tunnel vision when she was angry.

"Probably not but we all gotta die one day, right?" Xin mused dryly, reaching towards the simmering pot. Tenten leveled her with an unimpressed look.

"You made your mother cry, Xin."

"Tenten, do you really think you can guilt me? I'm Hiashi's daughter for Christ's sake. I don't have a conscious."

"Jun had a conscious," Karin quipped sullenly.

Xin's head snapped in Karin's direction, an unreadable look on her face. Since revealing her close relationship, Xin began to wonder if Karin only befriended her for the sake of Jun. She wondered if Karin saw Xin or Jun when she talked to her. Had she only stuck around because she was the reincarnation of a dead miko?

"Jun is dead," Xin uttered slowly without blinking. "I'm not Jun." Or was she? Did Hyuga Xin really exist as a person or was she just a shell to house Jun's soul? Was she the one with the fiery temper or was it Jun's temper? Did she have a soul of her own or did it belong to Jun?

"Jun is Jun and Xin is Xin, Karin. They're different people. Jun has been dead for years," Suigetsu said slowly. It kind of surprised Xin that Suigetsu would defend her. She expected him to be on Team Jun like his traitorous ass girlfriend.

"Jun and Junko aren't what's important right now. The twins are and if we don't get it together, terrible things will happen," Tenten said seriously. She looked in between the twins. "The enchantments placed are most likely broken since Manami told you the truth. Did she tell you what could happen?"

"That demons will want to eat us? She might have mentioned something like that."

Tenten opened her mouth to scold Xin's nonchalant behavior but Hinata beat her to it. "We're not saying that this situation isn't important but...it's been a long two weeks. Could we just enjoy a dinner with each other like before?" She looked around at the table, frowning softly. Tenten sighed heavily but nodded. Maybe she was being a little obsessive and pushy but it was only because she cared so much for the twins! Even so, they could probably have this conversation some other time. Hinata looked towards Karin with a meaningful expression, warning her not to bring up Jun anymore. She didn't want to hear any more of Jun and Junko for the rest of the night. Karin seemingly received the message loud and clear, sinking down guiltily.

"What's for dessert, Xin?" Suigetsu prompted, easily getting over the awkward bump. He turned to the small woman with a wide grin. She returned the stare almost blankly, her mood most likely shot by Karin and Tenten's words. It's not that she wanted to sit there and agonize over their words, she didn't! But honestly, was their friendships only forged because of some dead priestesses? Did Tenten only stick around because she felt obligated on Ruolan's behalf? Did Suigetsu and Karin remain their friends because it was as close to Jun and Junko as they were going to get? Did she know these people like she thought she did? Her life was on a fast track of spiraling out of control and she didn't know how to get it back to normal.

"Hinata made daifuku at the bakery and Anko let us take some of it home," Xin finally replied, unaware that her blank stare unnerved the three guests. "They're good," She looked down at her food, leaving the table in an awkward silence. Hinata tried not to sigh in agitation. She just wished they could all go back to how things were before finding out the truth.

The dinner continued on awkwardly as the mood was pretty much ruined. Suigetsu looked in between the four girls, not sure how to get rid of the awkward tension. After awhile he gave up and continued eating his food. Before long they were finished their dinner and quietly helped the twins clean up. Just as they were gearing up to leave, Hinata had a sudden thought.

"Does Neji know?"

Tenten frowned at the door. "He does," She answered after several long minutes. "He's known for a long time and has been...involved."

What the hell did that mean? But the brunette didn't explain, opting to quickly leave with Karin and Suigetsu. The twins stewed in shared silence, both thoroughly confused by Tenten's cryptic words.

"So much for no more secrets."

* * *

"Oh, you're still alive. I thought for sure that the dagger to the leg was it for you."

Gaara stared blankly at his longtime friend. "Fuck off, Uzumaki. I wouldn't have taken a blessed dagger to the leg if it hadn't been for you."

Naruto grinned widely at Gaara, settling down on the park bench. He stretched his long legs out and continued to grin when Gaara settled next to him. "Don't be like that. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be holed up in Suna with Rasa breathing down your neck."

"Like how Kushina breathes down yours?"

Naruto snorted, slouching into the bench. "Oi, least my Mom isn't an asshole like Rasa," He almost pouted but straightened up. "How'd you get that dagger out anyway? Almost burned your fingers right off when you tried to snatch it out."

Gaara frowned next to him, mind wandering to that shrill, loud mouthed harpy of a woman. He wasn't sure why she was the first one he thought of to get the dagger out. It wasn't like he didn't know any other humans. She hadn't even been home when he arrived at her home. There was also the chance that she would refuse helping him. It's not like they had a great track record. He'd hurt her several times and she even stabbed him. Which, kind of impressed him, in all honesty. The last thing he expected out of that vertically challenged hobbit was for her to stab him. But as he said, he was impressed. Humans tended to not stab at him unless they were armed with blessed weapons.

"A human girl pulled the dagger out."

Naruto raised blonde eyebrows. "You let a human girl touch you? That's a new one. Did you kill her immediately after?"

"No but I have tried before."

"And she's still alive."

"She is."

Naruto blinked at his friend in question. As long as he's known Gaara, which was a long time, he's never known him to have any problems killing...well...anything. He'd kill his own father if the opportunity presented itself. Not that he blamed him, Rasa was a grade-A dick. But even so...Gaara didn't let a lot of beings get away unscathed.

"Something's wrong with that girl and I want to know what," Gaara said while shifting around. He reached for the hemline of his shirt, lifting it up to show an odd scar on his side. "She stabbed me and—"

"A human girl _stabbed_ you?"

"Yes, that's what I said, Uzumaki."

"And she's still alive? Gaara, you're losing your edge—wait...why hasn't that healed yet? Did she stab you with the blessed dagger after pulling it out?"

"No, it was a regular knife. She stabbed me long before I made her remove the blessed dagger."

Naruto's brows drew together in wonderment. "So you're telling me you let a human girl stab you with a knife, that for some reason, left a scar."

"I didn't let her do anything."

"Man, I gotta meet this girl. Why did her stab mark leave a scar? Was the knife she used blessed?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Definitely need to meet her."

He wasn't sure how he felt about Naruto meeting that woman. Naruto wouldn't hurt the woman ( _not that he really cared_ ) and he was pretty sure she wouldn't hurt him either. But maybe a second opinion on this woman would do him some good. He knew he hadn't been losing his shit when he felt something in her push back. He just couldn't figure out what. "So she knows you're a demon then?" Naruto prompted, breaking him out of his thoughts. The blond watched the other man quietly, eyes slightly narrowed. This was odd behavior for Gaara. Maybe that's what had him so distracted.

"She does. She attacked me with a fuckin' mop and ran to get another damn knife," Gaara admitted. He probably wouldn't admit any of this to any other person. For some odd reason, despite their polar opposite personalities, the two were best friends. He tended to tell Naruto the truth, even if he didn't want to.

"I honestly need to meet this girl."

Gaara rolled his eyes and slumped into the bench. Ignorant humans carried on with their day, not even realizing they were being watched by two vigilant demons. They couldn't sense malevolent intentions but they tended to watch anyway, just in case. They'd been at it for a month but the steady flow of rogue demons wasn't slowing down. Someone was opening portals all over town, allowing demons out to hunt humans down. Naruto had been employed to hunt down the demons and stop them and asked Gaara to help him. The redhead barely let Naruto finish explaining before agreeing. Rasa was driving him up the wall.

"When can I meet her?" Naruto looked like he was going to start bouncing in his seat like a child. Gaara leveled Naruto with a blank stare. "Aw, come on, you can't tell me about this girl and expect me to not want to meet her! She stabbed you for shit's sake. I gotta find out what's wrong with her," Naruto insisted in good nature. Everything was wrong with that woman. Everything down to her freakish eyes. They seemed supernatural.

Naruto wouldn't shut up and Gaara finally relented. Although he told him that there was an off chance that the woman would pull a knife on him. That seemed to just excite Naruto even more. To him, the thought of a human girl pulling a knife on a demon had to be the funniest thing ever. Even funnier when she actually succeeded in stabbing a demon.

For one reason or another, Naruto insisted that they actually use her front door. When Gaara told him that he tended to just use a portal to get into her apartment, he was horrified. He ranted for about twenty minutes that it was considered breaking and entering, even though, he didn't break anything to get inside.

"I'm serious when I say watch her hands, Uzumaki. I don't doubt she'd use anything as a weapon," Gaara folded his arms while Naruto grinned next to him. The redhead shook his head when the elevator came to a stop at the top floor. Due to their enhanced hearing, they could easily hear the woman despite being down the hall and outside of her apartment.

 _"Oh fuck off, Flareon. This isn't a fuckin' restaurant."_

 _"Please stop cursing, Xin."_

 _"All I'm saying is that I don't like gyōza."_

 _"And all I'm saying is that you can get the fuck out, Shippo."_

 _"I told you to stop it with the stupid nicknames."_

 _"You said stop it with the_ _Pokémon_ _nicknames. That was an InuYasha reference, which in my opinion, is very fitting."_

Naruto's grin was so wide Gaara thought it would split his face. He stepped up to the door and politely knocked, halting any conversation going on in the apartment. The apartment became tensely quiet and for a moment, a familiar scent wafted from under the door. Gaara and Naruto frowned in unison.

 _"Oi, Xin, wait!"_

The door swung open, revealing a very confused Xin. Gaara wasn't surprised to see her holding a knife but he was surprised to see a very familiar redheaded woman coming down the hallway towards Xin. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of the two of them. "Karin?" Naruto practically squawked. Karin barely paid Naruto any mind, red eyes trained solely on Gaara. She came to a hard halt at Xin's back, hand slapping against the human's shoulder. Xin flinched under the contact and opened her mouth to snap at Karin but was cut off sharply when Karin yanked her backwards. She tucked the smaller woman into her chest, hand wrapping protectively around her waist. The motion bothered Gaara. Karin loomed over Xin's smaller figure almost possessively.

"What the hell?" Karin hissed at the two of them, teeth sharpening passed her lips. Gaara continued to watch the two women, nose twitching. A new smell came from Xin, smelling….pure and sweet. She certainly didn't smell like that the last he'd been there. She smelled more like….that damn blessed dagger. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Karin hissed at the two of them. Naruto glanced in between Karin, Xin and Gaara, clearly missing some components.

"What the hell're you doing here, Rin'?" Naruto asked after a moment of tense silence. Xin craned her neck back, eyeing Karin quietly before turning back towards Gaara and Naruto. She frowned thoughtfully but twirled the knife thoughtlessly. Gaara eyed her motions, sneakily stepping out of her range.

"I think the real question is—" Xin finally spoke up, slightly interested but more so amused in whatever was taking place. "—did you actually knock this time? What a surprise," She crowed with a smirk.

Gaara shrugged leisurely, still keeping an eye out for that knife. "He knocked," He bobbed his head in Naruto's direction. "He wouldn't shut up about breaking and entering."

Xin finally looked at Naruto, eyes blatantly sizing him up. He was as tall as Gaara and just as wide. His hair was a mess of sunshine and his eyes were as a blue as the ocean. He was grinning widely down at her, showing her his own sharpened teeth. Xin tilted her head to the side, noting that the structure of his face seemed oddly familiar. "Gaara, this is the girl who stabbed you?" Naruto looked at Gaara with that same shit-eating grin. "Are you kidding me, man? Holy fuck, this is hilarious! Wait until I tell Sakura about this," He elbowed Gaara playfully.

"And who—" Xin stepped out from underneath Karin's body. She held the knife up, pointing the tip at Naruto's chin. His laughter subsided but his grin remained. "—might you be?"

Hinata's voice could be heard from somewhere down the hallway behind Karin and Xin. "How about we figure this out inside? What will our neighbors think if they poke their head out and see you waving a knife around, Xin? The food is getting cold."

Xin hummed in agreement and stepped back into the apartment, vanishing down the hallway. Karin remained rooted to her spot, scowling at the two new guests. "Does Kushina know you're here, Naruto?" She asked in a frustrated voice.

"Does she know you're here, Karin?" Naruto shot back while ambling by the frustrated redhead. Gaara only offered Karin a fleeting glance as he followed after the tall blond. They ventured passed the kitchen where the twins were already sitting at their dining room table. Karin shoved by the men, sitting down with a huff.

Hinata blinked at the new additions. "Hello, Gaara," She greeted slowly while looking at her sister. "I hope you're doing okay. Who's your friend?" She asked, trying to be polite despite the two new demons in her living space. They weren't trying to kill them but Gaara had attacked Xin in the past. His companion, whoever he was, looked more friendly than Gaara.

"I wouldn't exactly call him a friend—"

"Oi!"

"But his name is Naruto."

Hinata smiled carefully at Naruto. "It's nice to meet you, Naruto. I'm Hinata."

"I'm Xin," Xin waved lazily. "Don't just stand there. Sit down and join us, why don't you?" She prompted. This had to be the oddest month of her life. She just hoped a semblance of normality would be returned to her life. She wasn't sure how much she could take of this. Both Gaara and Naruto took notice of the knife laying idle next to her hand. Gaara moved to sit down across from her, stretching his long legs out to the point of straddling her feet. Xin's hand edged closer to her knife but she did nothing. "I will use this," She warned, pinky brushing against the handle of the knife.

"Apparently so," Naruto quipped and sank down next to his silent friend. "Gaara tells me you stabbed him with a knife."

"He was choking me."

"She was screaming."

"Because a random, violent ass demon broke into my house."

Hinata made an odd noise in her throat, momentarily distracting the two from their bickering. "Karin, you're awfully quiet. Are you okay?" She looked towards the redhead, unaware of why Karin was suddenly so quiet.

"Yeah, _Rin_ ," Xin's gaze strayed to Karin, eyebrow quirked and upper lip slightly curling with the pronunciation of Karin's nickname. For as long as they've been friends, she'd never heard anyone use that nickname. It sounded too juvenile for Karin's tastes. "You seem very familiar with—" She paused and looked at Naruto. "—what are you?"

"Fox demon."

"Wow, of course you are," Xin rolled her eyes. "But you seem very familiar with Jolteon here so would you care to explain?"

Karin heaved a heavy sigh and wondered how this would go. Xin's temper was at an all time low with her, Tenten and Suigetsu. She could understand Xin's reasons. They did keep an awful lot of things from the twins before and even now, they still had a lot of secrets they were holding onto. She eyed the knife and frowned, Xin wouldn't actually stab her, would she? And what the hell was this about her stabbing Gaara anyway? How did the two know each other? When the hell did they meet and how long has this been going on? Vaguely she remembered those bruises around Xin's neck and her eyes narrowed. Were those bruises from Gaara? She was going to poison his ass as soon as she got the chance.

"He's my cousin," Karin finally admitted after realizing Xin and Hinata were still staring at her. Hinata made another noise, this one sounding more confused while Xin looked in between her and Naruto.

"...The retarded one?"

"Oi!"

"That isn't nice, Xin."

"And that's not what I said either."

"Oh, I'm sorry. The idiot."

"Kariiiiin,"Naruto whined childishly. "Stop telling people that before meeting me, they'll get the wrong idea," He chided his cousin, nearly pouting.

"You are an idiot," Karin snapped back, showing her teeth.

"Well, he is related to you," Xin commented dryly, grinning sheepishly when Karin's head whipped around in her direction. "Oh calm down, Delphox. It's a joke."

"This is not a joke you little twit. What in the blue fuck did you do to get involved with the likes of him?" Karin pointed an offending finger at Gaara. He eyed the appendage blankly, gazw rising slowly to stare her down. Karin scowled harshly but dropped her finger. "If you're here to kill her, I will kill you first."

"Naruto," Gaara uttered slowly, chewing thoughtfully on the _gyōza_. He'd hate to admit it but the food was actually good. "Remind your cousin of her place. If I wanted to kill that girl, I already would have."

"Still have that blessed dagger," Xin muttered in monotone. But her comment, for now, went ignored. Tension between the three demons was steadily rising.

"Karin," Naruto said slowly. "We're not here to hurt her," He motioned to Xin. "I just wanted to meet her," He told her in a gentle tone. He seemed all too used to Karin's fleeting temper. Naruto glanced at Xin but she remained impassive, quietly pressing her chopsticks to her mouth while chewing. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, blatantly watching the exchange. For some odd reason, her eyes seemed to glow eerily.

And her scent...well, actually she shared the scent with her sister. It was actually buried under their true scents. It smelled so... _pure_.

"What are you two?" He suddenly asked, overwhelmed by the faint purity hiding under their skin. He could just barely see flakes of purity and moon dust mixed with their blood and veins. His eyes flickered in between the two of them feverishly. He felt his true demon, a red-eyed beast, yearn for release. His claws scrapped against his ribcage in an almost desperate attempt for freedom.

"Just two normal girls trying to get through life," Xin answered in that same monotonous tone. Naruto was not fooled by her nonchalance. Normal girls didn't invite demons into their home for dinner. Normal girls didn't knowingly stab demons. Normal girls did not smell of pure snow and lunar dust.

"You both smell of that damn dagger," Gaara suddenly pointed out, seemingly ignoring the spat with Karin. Xin rolled her head back on her neck, face towards the ceiling. She blinked slowly and sighed heavily before her gaze wavered to him. "Have you been messing with it?"

"No." She wasn't lying but she was hiding something.

"Wait," Karin frowned. "You mean you still can't tell what they are?"

"Normal girls, I said that."

"Shut up, Xin," Karin reached over to cuff her. "The enchantments were to break as soon as you found out. Perhaps some still remain, perhaps weakened versions of it. Or maybe Tenten figured out how to cast strong ones like Ruolan."

"Tenten? Haven't seen her in awhile. How's she doing?"

"You know Tenten? Nevermind, of course you do. I bet you also know Prince Sidon."

"Prince Sidon?"

Hinata cleared throat, speaking up in what felt like a long time. "She means Suigetsu," She informed them. Hinata shot her sister a reprimanding look. Her nicknames was fine among the five of them but other people wouldn't understand all of her references. It obviously caused quite a confusion.

"Because he's a fuckin' shark and everything," Xin shrugged one shoulder. She still couldn't get over that.

"Getting off track," Gaara reminded them. Xin chanced a small glance at him. She wondered if he would leave her be if they told him what she truly was. Wasn't that the only reason he kept coming back? If he got what he wanted, there would be no need to come back. But on the other hand...Manami did say demons would come after them once the enchantments were broken. Did that mean he really would kill her?

"Do you eat humans?" She prompted, seemingly out of nowhere. To them, the question was absurd but she had to know if he would want to 'consume' her goddamn flesh and bones.

"Not in particular," Gaara answered somberly. Next to him, Naruto made a face of distaste. Xin wasn't sure if it was because he thought eating humans was wrong or if he didn't agree with Gaara's answer of not eating them often.

"Have you _ever_ eaten humans?"

"Once or twice, a very long time ago."

The information didn't exactly warm her heart but he did say a long time ago. Maybe it was safe to tell him? Besides, if all else fails, she could stab him in the goddamn face with that dagger. Settling her jittery nerves, she sat up a little straighter and looked Gaara dead in the eye. "Apparently I have the soul of a dead priestess."

The table was silent as the information sunk in. Gaara studied the girl across from him. His knowledge on priestesses was limited at best but he knew they had the power to purify demons and corrupted humans. Perhaps that would explain their first encounter. And the odd underlying scent of moon dust and snow. "You're an awful priestess," Gaara said after a long moment of silence. Xin nearly gaped at him but managed to save her dignity at the last second.

"I said I have the soul of a priestess, not that I am a priestess you bag of shit."

"How can you have both the soul of a priestess and your own soul?"

Xin didn't reply. That was the thing. Whose soul resided in her? Was it half of her soul and half of Jun's soul or was it just one or the other? She was having an identity crises and she was barely in her twenties. All of this shit was giving her anxiety. What if she woke up one day and wasn't...herself?

"It's possible," Naruto finally spoke up. He looked lost in thought, eyes darting between Xin and Hinata. Maybe the sudden demonic activity had something to do with these two girls. It wasn't their fault but it could explain some things. "It usually doesn't end well. Two souls can't coincide in one body. They start wrestling for control of the body."

Fuckin' great.

Hinata noticeably paled and Xin wondered if her sister was having the same thoughts on Junko. Karin watched their reactions with a frown. "Jun and Junko wouldn't do that. They had their time."

Naruto shrugged apathetically. "Death changes a person. Either that or they'll eventually go mad. I think you humans call it bipolar disorder?"

Well that wasn't a comforting thought. So either Jun would eventually fight to control her body or she'd lose her shit and probably kill herself.

Greeeeat.

"She's already crazy as it is," Gaara commented casually. "I doubt the extra soul will cause a big problem." Oddly enough, it sounded like he was trying to make her feel better. In his own twisted way, words disguised with malice to throw her off. She frowned but didn't put it out. She didn't doubt he would try to choke her again. And she was ready to stab a motherfucker if the time called for it.

"Excuse me but you didn't explain how the hell you know him," Karin's lips pulled back, revealing sharp teeth. The dinner table was quiet for a second time.

"Dude, put those away, damn," Xin spoke up first, scowling in irritation. "Jesus, what'd he do to you, eat your pet? Calm down," She said in a serious tone. Karin's freakish attitude was starting to get under her damn skin. "To answer your question, I hit him with my car. He's the reason my shit was fucked up."

"Your car was messed up because you didn't take care of it," Hinata commented tonelessly. Xin shot her a glare, hissing a quick 'traitor' at her for not keeping that information to herself. So she was awful at maintaining cars, did she look like a mechanic? Blame her goddam parents.

"You hit him," Naruto enunciated slowly. "With your car."

"Well, actually, I merely clipped him but same thing, I guess."

"I think I love this girl."

"Shut the fuck up, Uzumaki."

* * *

TeeBeMe: Finally, Naruto! Yaaaaay. Happy New Year, you guys! May 2018 be kind to us all! Flareon, Delphox and Jolteon are all fox-like Pokemon, Shippo is from Inuyasha, as stated, and I'd kind of be surprised if no one knew that. InuYasaha was a starting point for anime for a lot of us, right? Prince Sidon is a character from the newest game Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. He's a Zora but the Zoras from this game resemble sharks more than the other Zoras from different games. Sidon is a fuckin' delight.

moonlight46: I'm still on the fence about the rating but just so I know, what sort of content do you draw the line at? Like would it be okay to include Limes and not Lemons or do you turn away from all sort of sexual content? Karin's nicknames was the most fun I had with the last chapter, lol

curlystruggle: Still on the fence about the content, don't booooo! lol. None of Xin's questions were answered but they will be eventually.

Akari: I was wondering where all your feedback was! Gave me a scare that you weren't reading anymore for a second lol. It meant a lot that you still went through the effort of reviewing three different times in the same timespan. You were pretty much calling everything out with each chapter. Maybe I was hinting too hard lol. Hinata still doesn't have much of an opinion on Naruto but that'll eventually change. She's wary around all demons, even her friends.

marinaa07: Anything that involves Xin is going to have some sort of darkness to it. I feel like that's just partially her thing. Dark comedy is also my thing so there's that, I guess. I enjoy Jura's smitten nature too, he's such a sweetie. Makes me wonder why I torture him so much. Even if Xin is a miko, she's still the same foul-mouthed asshole, ain't no changing that. And oh man, you've never heard of Pokemon? Pokemon is just so iconic! I still play the games even though I'm 22 years old, I've never known not one person that won't completely break out into the first song if they hear the first lines. That's really interesting!

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapters. Honestly, when I was writing Manami's revelation in the beginning, I was like, this sounds too fuckin' weird, maybe I should change it. But then I was like, this is fantasy and supernatural, motherfuckers. Anything goes! Well, not anything but you get what I mean. I hope it was okay but if not, let me know. As I said before, may 2018 treat you all well, read, review, favorite, follow and I'll see you next update.


	8. Take me Down

Naruto and Gaara didn't leave immediately after dinner was finished. Since they hadn't left, neither had Karin. Usually Karin staying late with them didn't bother either twin. But on this particular night, all they wanted was for the redheaded fox to just go home. Karin was downright irritable in the presence of Naruto and Gaara.

Hinata persuaded Karin to help with the cleanup. Naruto followed the two into the kitchen, carrying the dirtied dishes. Xin's eyes strayed towards Gaara. He was posted at her window for whatever reason. She asked herself if she really wanted to talk to him but she'd rather not talk to Karin so towards Gaara she went. The only acknowledgment he gave was his eyes flickering towards her. Other than that, he didn't say anything as she stood idly by his side. She didn't know what had him so focused, there was nothing out on the streets but humans and he didn't care for them, so what the hell was he looking at?

"You smell like snow and moon dust," Gaara spoke up first, surprisingly. She visibly jumped at the sound of his voice, frowning softly. "Underneath your natural scent. I suppose the enchantments you spoke of earlier masked the purity," He spoke casually, like they were discussing the weather. She didn't know what to say back. For one, what the fuck does snow and moon dust smell like?

"Does it make you want to eat me?"

"Not in particular," Gaara answered casually. "I'm not going to eat you, woman. Only weak, mindless demons seek to consume priestesses. You are safe in the sense that I will not eat you. Stop asking."

Xin wasn't sure if his words made her feel better or not. "But I'm not safe in general around you, am I?" She asked with a frown. Well of course she wasn't safe around him. He tried to choke her out, at least twice. She didn't feel completely safe around him but she also didn't feel completely threatened. It was an odd thing to feel and she didn't bother to say it out loud. Knowing him, he'd take offense.

"Are you safe in general around any of us?"

Point taken.

"You and Naruto seem really close, like best friends," She said instead of giving him an answer. She did not fear any of her friends. Karin, Suigetsu and Tenten were annoying as of late but they were just doing what they thought was best for the twins. They annoyed the shit out of her but they meant well. She had no reason to be afraid of the three of them.

"You humans and your need to place a title on everything."

"Call us sentimental," She shrugged languidly. "Have you been friends for a long time?" Xin pressed on, wanting to know why the two meshed together so well. Naruto was all sunshine and grins while Gaara was darkness and scowls. How the two managed to get along so well was beyond her. They must have years of friendship under their belts.

"It has been a century or two."

Xin turned to study the man beside her. Physically, he looked about twenty-six, at the least. Much older than her mere twenty-one but his eyes were far older than his appearance led her to believe. She was mere child to him, most likely. Naive and ignorant to the world around her. "You're old as fuck, aren't you?"

"Perhaps you're just young as fuck."

Xin's head twitched back on her neck and she found herself grinning. "So you do have a sense of humor when you aren't trying to strangle me, fascinating," She teased lightly. A streak of horror suddenly ran through her. Was she actually joking around with this psycho? This was not how this was supposed to go. This was not how any of this was supposed to go. "Did your friends track you down?" She asked a couple of seconds after her lighthearted teasing.

"Friends?" he visibly craned his neck to look down at her. Xin cursed her meager height. He quite literally dwarfed her, adding insult to injury. She and Hinata were both short while their sister, Hanabi was steadily outgrowing them. The troll.

"Yeah, you know, one guy, one girl," She began to explain, their names momentarily escaping her. "Both have brown hair and brown eyes. The guy is about ye high," She raised her hand up to his neck. "The girl is a bit shorter but much taller than me," She made a face at the mention of the girl. Gaara's face twisted in frustration. Xin ignored his gaze, face set firmly as she tried to remember her stalkers' faces. "They were following us around for awhile and I confronted them about it. I think they think I'm crazy," She rubbed her chin in thought. "And then the guy came to my job to talk to me. He warned me to…." She finally looked at him, brows furrowed. "He said it would not be for the best if I get involved with you."

Gaata grunted, his harsh scowl back. Xin's mouth pulled into a more delicate frown. They were getting along so well, it seemed, and she ruined it with the mention of his friends. "Jura!" She snapped her fingers, her frown morphing into a delighted grin. "Jura and...Matsuri. They were looking for you."

"They approached you?"

Xin shrugged her shoulders. "They had reason to believe that we've interacted. Jura says he thought he saw you with me but I doubt that's the truth."

"You said you confronted them?"

"...Yeah?"

"You confronted two demons."

"They were stalking us, what was I supposed to do?"

"Not confront them? They're dangerous. What would you have done had they attacked you?" Gaara asked, turning fully towards her. Xin's shoulders hunched defensively. The hell did he care? He literally attacked her more than once and now he was going to lecture her about confronting demons? Just what the hell was with everyone lately? What was she supposed to do? Not take up for herself just because someone may or may not be a demon?

"I probably would have stabbed one of them in the eye with my keys," Xin answered tonelessly. Gaara stared down at her for a full second before a snort of disbelief rattled his big shoulders. Her eyes widened while staring at him. The snorts turned into chortles and the chortles turned into outright laughter. He bent over, hand pressed against to his face. Xin found nothing funny, folding her arms across her chest.

Naruto peered into the living room, frowning at the sound and sight of Gaara's laughter. It wasn't like Gaara was an emotionless bastard or anything. But hearing his laughter and knowing Xin was out there with him, he was expecting to see her corpse or something.

Instead he found Gaara laughing and Xin looking none too pleased. Instantly, he thought of Matsuri, the closest thing Gaara would call a girlfriend. The demoness was nice, Naruto recalled, but he couldn't remember if Gaara had laughed like that in her presence. Now that he thought about it, Naruto wasn't sure if Gaara was ever this at ease in Matsuri's presence.

Uh-oh.

Whatever the fuck this was, it wasn't going to turn out right. He glanced to his right, feeling his cousin's presence at his shoulder. Karin's eyes were narrowed at the sight, teeth pressing into her lips. The two never really could get along, different opinions often keeping them at odds. But now with Xin and Hinata in the equation, Karin's hatred had reached new heights. Karin folded her arms across her chest stubbornly. "I don't like this," She seethed, turning away sharply. "Hinata, how can you allow this?"

Hinata remained at the sink, seemingly not bothered by anything at all. For several minutes she focused on her task before granting Karin a reply. "What can I possibly do?" She asked calmly. She wasn't thrilled about Gaara and Xin's odd relationship but what could she say to either one of them? Xin already knew how she felt on the matter. "I'm not sure if I like his presence but you try telling Xin not to do something. You know how she gets."

Karin huffed in annoyance and Naruto finally turned away from the sight of Xin and Gaara. "Sounds like a real rebel," He prompted, crossing the kitchen. Hinata was Xin's opposite in every aspect but Naruto could see a fire in her eyes that was ready to rage if the time called for it.

She threw him a fleeting glance and then turned back to her dishes. Naruto almost grinned. Turning your back on a demon was either a sign of arrogance or a sign of foolishness. Hinata remained unaware of the taboo with her small back facing him. "That's a nice way to describe her, I suppose. I like to think of her as a free spirit. You simply can't tell her what to do. If you try to do that, she'll do the exact opposite."

"Free spirit my ass. She's just petty," Karin grouched. "I don't like this at all. He shouldn't be left alone with her. Who knows what he might do to her?" She worried, flaming eyes flickering to the doorway of the kitchen.

"I think you're being a bit ridiculous, Rin."

"He _strangled_ her."

"She stabbed him."

"Because she was being strangled."

"She hit him with her car."

"And he responded by strangling her yet again."

It's not like he really cared of Xin's treatment towards Gaara, he found it hilarious. Gaara didn't seem to hold a grudge against the woman for her antics, after all, she was still alive. It was probably because of her antics that she was still alive, to be honest. But even so...Gaara was a dangerous person and Xin seemed to seamlessly get under his skin.

Naruto glanced at Karin once more. Deep down, he wondered if Karin was more worried about Jun's soul over Xin. He'd only met the miko twins once or twice in his life but remembered them meaning a lot to Karin. When the twins perished, Karin had taken it hard. Back then, he couldn't understand her behavior. It wasn't like humans lived long anyway. He'd grown since then, understanding how important Jun and Junko had been to his cousin. He wondered if Xin and Hinata were just as important as the ones before them. He wondered if they were only important _because_ of the ones before them. They were such nice girls and their friendship with Karin was obviously genuine. Whether or not Karin was genuine was the problem.

Nope, _none_ of this was going to turn out okay.

* * *

Karin threw open her front door in what would be deemed in a dramatic sense. In the living room, Tenten and Suigetsu leaned back against the couch, wondering what all the fuss was about. "That girl is going to get herself killed!" She exclaimed, voice bouncing off the walls. Suigetsu tried not to slump into the couch. There was too much friction in their group of friends as of late. Every other day, somebody was huffing in frustration. One of these days, one of them was just going to throw a punch and then he'd have to break up a physical fight. And each of these girls had a mean swing.

"Did'ja bring any food?"

Karin scowled and shoved the bag of containers at Suigetsu. He got up with a grin, heading towards the kitchen. Tenten followed after him, smiling in amusement. "You know, with all the money you two have come into over the years, you could probably afford a better apartment. You could probably even hire an actual cook," Tenten commented while sitting at the kitchen table.

"Well yeah," Suigetsu nodded, his grin widening. Karin had gone out of her way to keep the containers warm with her energy. "But I like Xin and Hinata's cooking. You want some?" He held up a pair of chopsticks for her. Tenten took the chopsticks before remembering Karin's earlier statement.

"Who's going to get themselves killed?" She asked calmly. Karin dropped next to Suigetsu, ignoring him when he leaned over to kiss her cheek in greeting. "And why are they going to get killed?"

"Xin! Who else?" Karin growled, rubbing at her temples. "Remember when she reacted all nonchalant when you told her about demons and she had some bullshit excuse?"

"Mm."

"She's very familiar with the idea of demons, apparently."

"And why's that?"

Suigetsu shot Tenten a look. Karin's temper was at its end and her own nonchalance wasn't going to help the situation. "She knows Gaara!"

The kitchen sank into silence. "Of Suna?" Suigetsu asked with a frown. Karin shot him a look, rolling her eyes. It's not like they knew any other psychotic motherfuckers named Gaara. "How does she know him?"

"Oh apparently they have quite the relationship! We had dinner together. Naruto was there."

"Karin, none of the shit you're saying makes sense. You can't just spring all of this information on us and not explain anything. Where the fuck does Naruto come into the equation? And what the fuck do you mean you all had dinner?" Tenten asked, her own temper flaring. Lately they've been clashing too much for her tastes. Karin jumped into it, explaining the story the twins had fed her. When she was done, Tenten slapped her forehead. "Fuck, she's going to use this against me."

"Use what?"

"When I told her about demons, I felt like she was hiding something. I kept asking her about it and she finally said that she hit a demon with her car and he wouldn't leave her alone. But she explained it in such a way that I thought she was bullshitting. Now, if I ask her about it, she's going to argue that she did tell me the truth."

"Well, she _is_ Hiashi's daughter," Karin reminded them sourly. "What's more is that she told those two morons that they're priestesses. I think some of the enchantments are still enacted because they couldn't quite tell."

"She told two demons that they're priestesses?"

"To be fair," Karin wrinkled her nose. "She asked if they've ever eaten human flesh before."

"What is wrong with that girl?"

"I don't know but I don't like it at all. For as long as I've known Gaara, he's never been kind to humans. Now he and Naruto expect me to leave a human priestess alone with him?"

"Karin, Gaara has changed a lot since our younger years."

"He tried to strangle her. Twice."

"Course he did."

"But in his defense, he says, she stabbed him."

Suigetsu nearly choked on his food. "Wait, wait, _wait,"_ He uttered dramatically. "Yer' telling me that our hobbit actually stabbed that 6'4 psycho and she's still _alive_? Christ, she's insane."

Tenten shook shook her head, stabbing at her food. "Perhaps he's losing his edge. Hanging out with Naruto and Kushina will do that, won't it?" She smiled slowly at the thought of Karin's kindhearted aunt.

"He hasn't lost much of his edge since he's willing to strangle her."

"Aren't we all a little willing to strangle her? How many times have I pulled you off of her?" Suigetsu pointed out.

"Or her off of you?" Tenten reminded them of the fact that Xin, despite being human, was no pushover. Yes, she was quite small with the face of a cherub but that never stopped Xin from throwing some punches. Suigetsu was not kidding when he said each of his friends had mean right hooks. Her love for boxing certainly didn't help. There'd been several times when the redhead and blunette came to blows. Mostly when they were still in high school, when Xin was still an entitled brat and Karin was still an uppity asshole.

"That girl has no problem sucker punching someone. Jun wouldn't have—"

"Jun is dead and Xin isn't her," Suigetsu interrupted the redhead. "And honestly? Yes Jun would. That woman was hardcore as fuck, especially with that damn bō of hers."

"My grandmother spoke of Jun and Junko a lot since she had a lot Ruolan's memories. She was a takes no prisoners sort of woman, she said," Tenten spoke up. "She has inherited some of Jun's quirks just like Hinata inherited quirks from Junko. But still…they're different people. You can't keep comparing them. You know they hate when they're compared to other people. They barely like it when people compare them together."

Karin sank into the chair, saying nothing else. The front door swung open and Neji came striding in. He looked positively exhausted but he politely greeted everyone before slumping down next to Tenten. Suigetsu silently offered food. "This tastes like the twins' cooking," Neji noted. Unlike the twins, who'd inherited Jun and Junko'a soul, Neji was relatively normal. He did possess a strong spiritual energy and Karin often said he reminded her of the Jun and Junko's older warrior of a brother, Youta. "Anything new?"

"Your cousin is a fuckin' moron."

"Well, that's a relatively known fact."

"Any portal openings?" Suigetsu asked before Karin could go off yet again. For some odd reason, he felt like Neji wouldn't be as nonchalant as him and Tenten on Gaara's involvement. He was fiercely protective of his cousins.

Neji made a face and Tenten reached over to rub at his shoulder. "A couple but it was easy to handle it since Naruto and several demons have come from their realm to control the problem," Neji hefted a sigh, large shoulders heaving with the motion.

"What a coincidence," Karin nearly crowed. At this point, Suigetsu and Tenten gave up trying to steer the conversation away. Karin wanted someone on her side and she knew damn well Neji would not take kindly to her newfound information. "I just met with Naruto and Gaara."

"Really?" Neji quirked a brow. "I thought you were with the twins."

"I was."

Neji placed his chopsticks down and turned his attention to her. "What did she do this time?" He asked through yet another sigh. Karin sat up a little straighter, glancing at Suigetsu and Tenten. Suigetsu had gone back to eating and Tenten offered no help. If she wanted to invoke Neji's rage, that was her business.

"Naruto and Gaara had dinner with me at the twins' apartment."

Neji was always an interesting case. He didn't possess any reincarnated souls of his ancestors nor was he blessed by some benevolent dragon king. He was a relatively normal human compared to his enchantress girlfriend and two demonic friends. However, he did possess an odd strong amount of spiritual energy. He couldn't use the energy to purify demons like the twins possibly could so he used it in a similar way that Tenten did. It was hard keeping it from his cousins and he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that they knew the history of the Hyuga.

"You let those two near my cousins?" He finally asked after a long pause. Tenten looked down at her food and wondered if she would be able to finish eating tonight. Maybe she should just head home, or maybe to the twins. She doubted the two would already be in bed by now. Xin would possibly be cleaning and Hinata would be trying to stop her.

"I'm not the one who let them in," Karin huffed irritably. "Xin invited them in, not me. I didn't want them anywhere near Gaara and Naruto," She pointed out with a scowl. Nevermind that Naruto was actually a good person. It was risky having demons near the two. Some demons just couldn't help the primal need to devour pure beings. Fortunately she'd been relatively young and Ruolan made sure to teach her that devouring your friends was wrong when she met Jun and Junko. "She hit Gaara with her car and now it seems he won't leave her be."

Instead of blowing a damn gasket like the originally thought, Neji became oddly quiet. He glanced around the table at his friends and wondered for the umpteenth time that day why couldn't he just have a normal life. He cursed his father's insistence on training him to hone his spiritual energy when he was young instead of just letting him have a normal life like the twins. But then, had Hizashi done that, Neji would be in the same boat as the twins. Tenten told him that they weren't really taking the latest revelations too well. Not that he could blame them. How were you supposed to react when suddenly there's demons and other supernatural beings gunning for your body and soul because you're a priestess reborn?

Neji placed his chopsticks down and slowly began to rise to his feet. "Well," He sighed like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Now I have to kill them," He said rather simply. Tenten made a noise in her throat and reached for his shoulder.

"You don't have to kill anyone!" She snapped, forcing him back into his seat. "Let's not forget that Gaara and Naruto has been helping with those rogue demons running around. We can't kill them because they might be a little dangerous around the twins."

"A little?" Karin nearly squawked. "Neither of you know what either of them are quite capable of. A demon is a demon," She reminded them hotly. "Sure, Gaara has calmed down a lot but he's still a sadistic psycho who dislikes humans and doesn't mind killing them if he feels like they're being bothersome."

"Karin," Suigetsu's eyes flickered towards her in a silent warning. "If that's the case and a demon is a demon, then we shouldn't be allowed around the twins. We've done some nasty things in our past. Once the last lingering enchantments finally vanish, we'll probably have urges to consume the twins like any other demon."

Tenten considerably paled. For some reason, she never once thought to worry over Suigetsu and Karin having urges to kill the twins. They'd been around Jun and Junko as long as they had without threatening to consume either of them and not once did they show any need to devour Xin and Hinata. She looked in between the couple, frowning hard.

"That is not true!" Karin snapped angrily. "I wouldn't ever want to harm them like that."

"That doesn't matter, does it?" Neji asked in that same tone of voice. He remained calm, unshakable and firm. "You are demons, after all," He continued, not bothering for an answer from Karin. This conversation had gone south very quickly. Karin glared at Suigetsu. "I don't care how little of a threat someone poses to my cousins," Neji glanced in between the couple. "Whether it's Gaara, Naruto or you two," his eyes hardened. "If, for whatever reason, they're in a situation I deem not safe for them, I will eliminate the problem. Friend or not."

The room became quiet once more.

* * *

"Yes, Neji, I know I'm an idiot. You really didn't have to call me at work to tell me this," Xin paused, allowing her cousin to rant and rave at her before opening her mouth again. "Yes, I know they're dangerous but what was I supposed to do?" Xin held the phone away from her ear when Neji's ranting turned to errant shouting. She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Neji, stop shouting before someone overhears you," She tried to remain calm but all of his shouting was starting to get under her skin.

She was going to punch Karin right in her mouth the next time she got a hold of that redhead. "Neji, shut the hell up for fuck's sake. I'm fine, alright? What's done is done! The motherfucker got the information he needed so I doubt I'll be seeing him again anyway so just drop it. I don't know who you and Karin think you are but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, alright? Now, if you don't mind, I have to lock the bakery up! Goodbye."

Xin stabbed at the 'end call' icon, scowling at the blank screen. She didn't understand anyone as of late. Okay, maybe she didn't understand much about the supernatural world but she was still alive. She didn't need them constantly breathing down her neck about every damn choice she's made. So she knew Gaara. What the hell was yelling at her going to do? And why was everyone yelling at her like she actively sought the weirdo out? Last she checked, he'd been the one to constantly pop up at her apartment, uninvited. Now that he finally knew why she'd been able to fend him off during their first encounter, he would finally leave her the fuck alone.

Neji called to chew her out right when she was beginning to shut the bakery down. She'd been stuck on the last shift with Ami, of all people, and the little shit had split as soon as she could. The girl was still upset about Xin dissing her haircut, not that Xin really cared. She moved around the bakery with ease, shutting the machines and lights down.

Xin pressed her hand to the back of her neck and twisted her head to the side, sighing when a resounding crack emitted from her neck. She threw her phone into her bag, locked the bakery up and headed home. She failed to tell any of her friends that she planned on walking home by herself that night. Her apartment was barely fifteen minutes away, what could happen? But just to be safe, she called Hinata. Her sister was not happy about her deciding to walk home by herself. "Yeah, I know sis but what's the worst that could happen?"

" _When people make statements like that, the worst usually happens."_

"Way to be optimistic, sis," Xin snorted, noting that it was oddly deserted. It was late but it wasn't that damn late. A shiver ran a course up her spine and she tried not to say anything. She didn't want to worry her sister or prove her right. As she walked by an alleyway, she heard a distinctive tearing noise followed by a loud pop. Frowning, she paused long enough to peer into the alley. A portal stared back at her with the image of crackling flames in its depth.

"Oh shit."

" _Xin? What's the matter?"_

Xin stared at the portal with a frown before turning and hurrying away. "Nope. Nope. Not today, motherfuckers. That is _none_ of my goddamn business. I'm signing the fuck out," She said, eyes darting around to find anyone who could possibly help her. But for some odd reason, there was not a soul in sight.

" _Xin, what is going on? What's none of your business? Talk to me!"_

The younger twin ignored the older twin, another chill attacking her spine when she heard footsteps behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and nearly felt her heart drop out of her ass. A tall gangly humanoid-looking _thing_ following after her. His skin was a ruddy red and his possessed a long face, mostly resembling a moblin from _the Legend of Zelda_ of series. "Fuck, I'm going to die," Xin hissed into the speaker, speeding up noticeably. She could hear her sister on the line, panicking and asking her what in God's name was going on. Xin turned a corner sharply, wondering where in the hell anybody was.

" _Priestessssss_ ," the moblin hissed from behind her, forked tongue slithering from nonexistent lips. Clearly the enchantments had finally faded away for good.

"There was a portal and a demon came out of it. It's following me and there doesn't seem to be anyone around who could possibly help."

" _Oh my God."_

She heard running footsteps and barely ducked out of the way when a heavy arm swiped at her head. Xin hissed, knees hitting the pavement roughly. The ground tore through her thin leggings, ripping her skin open. "Hinata, I'll call you back," Xin said through gritted teeth. She hung up before her sister could say anything else. Xin shoved her phone into her bag and without a second thought, took off into a mad dash. She could hear the demon coming after her, letting out excited cackles at the prospect of a chase. Xin darted across a lone street, running into an abandoned park. She wasn't sure if it would help but maybe ducking and dodging around trees could give her the slip.

She ran deeper into the woods, hoping her plan would work when she ran face first into something hard. She ricocheted off of whatever she ran into, hitting the ground flat on her back. Stars and colors burst behind her eyelids and she let out a long groan before slowly opening her eyes. Another demon stood over her, this one much larger than the first one that had been chasing her. Xin's eyes widened at the sight, speechless and cursing her awful luck. The demon had grey skin with bumps and boils adorning its body, much like the one who'd attacked her and Hinata.

The demon stared down at her, lips pulling back to reveal cracked and dulled teeth. In his right hand, he carried a large spiked club. Xin struggled to sit up, the world spinning around her as she did so. She let out a choked gasp and barely rolled out of the way when the demon swung it's club down. It crashed into the ground, destroying it with practiced ease. Xin staggered to her feet just as the red-skinned demon came upon the scene. Her eyes darted between the two, at a loss for words. Clearly running into the goddamn woods was easily the worst decision she's ever made.

Something came crashing through the trees closest to the grey-skinned demon. "There you are, fucker! Thought you could get away— _Xin_?!"

Xin blinked and turned, surprised to see Naruto staring at her. He seemed just as surprised to see her. The red demon took the opportunity to come flying at Xin. Naruto was luckily a tad bit faster, managing to catch Xin and dodge out of the way of an attack. "Xin, what the fuck?" Naruto growled, jumping away to put some distance between them. Xin only stared at the blond, blinking slowly. She felt like she was going to throw up any second. "Oi, man, we got a problem! Heads up!"

Naruto tossed Xin much like she was a ragdoll. She crashed into something hard but didn't bounce off of it like she'd done with the gray demon. If fact, whatever she crashed into hadn't been expecting to have to catch her because they went down with an audible grunt. It took her a full moment for her to realize that shed actually fell on top of a person.

A resounding growl from underneath caught her attention. Xin sat up, ignoring the pain radiating from her knees, to plant her small hands against a hard chest. "Xin, what the fuck are you doing here?" Gaara asked from underneath her, eyes narrowed at the sight of her on top of him. Her fingers coiled into the material of his jacket but she didn't answer right away. Gaara sat up but Xin didn't budge, not the least bit bothered that there was nothing separating them from each other. He reached up, large hands clutching her face. He pulled her closer, quietly studying her face. "Did you hit your head?" Gaara asked after a moment of just staring into her face.

"Uh," She blinked hard. "Yeah, I think so. I hit the ground kind of hard when I ran into that….thing," She waved a lazy hand at the grey demon. The demons were now teamed up against Naruto, determined to get him out of the way so they could get to her.

"You smell completely like that blessed dagger. Those enchantments Karin spoke of must have completely faded. You smell like a buffet to any demon within a five foot radius. Where's your sister?"

"Home, I think. Karin or Sui probably went over to hang out with her since I had to work late."

"And you didn't think to call them to walk you home? Not even Tenten or Neji?"

"I didn't think I'd need to."

"Right and look where that landed you."

Xin didn't have a chance to reply when Gaara got to his feet. He pulled her to her feet, letting her use him to lean her weight against him. He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her, rolling his eyes. "Hopefully my scent masks that damn scent of yours until we're done," He said through a growl, easily picking her up. He jumped into the trees, landing on a low but thick branch. "Just sit still until we're done. Do not move, woman, unless you want to fall and break your neck."

"Ohhhh no, who wants that?"

Gaara stared at her for a couple of seconds, slightly disturbed by her nonchalant attitude. He was positive that she had a concussion. They would have to finish this encounter soon if they wanted to get her to Tenten to take care of her injuries and get her from out in the open.

What felt like mere minutes later, Gaara was back. He studied her for the second time, noting the dazed look in her eyes. He sighed heavily, wondering how her friends would react if he just left her in the damn tree. He shouldn't have gotten involved with this human woman in the first place. Knowing he didn't feel like fighting with any of her friends about abandoning her in a tree, he reached forward. "Come on, we need to head back," He slipped his arms under her, easily carrying her slight weight. Her head rolled in a circle before settling against his chest.

"Whatever the handsome demons says," Xin sung blearily, lazily throwing her arm over his shoulder. Gaara paused, looking down at her in disbelief before dropping out of the tree to join Naruto.

"Well, at least there wasn't any human casualties," Naruto grinned slowly at the sight of them. He approached his friend, studying the delirious human. "Looks like a concussion," He said, holding his finger up. He drew it back and forth in a horizontal line, watching Xin's delayed gaze. "We need to get her to Tenten, I'm sure she can take care of it with that crystal ball of hers. I'll call ahead."

Gaara only kept his gaze focused on Xin, sighing heavily.

* * *

Karin nearly ripped Xin out of Gaara's arms as soon as the door open. His fingers curled tightly around her and he jerked her away, eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you do to her?" She demanded angrily, smelling blood.

Naruto shouldered by Gaara, hands held up placatingly. "Calm down, Rin. We didn't do anything to her. She was about to be eaten by a damn rogue demon," Naruto rolled his eyes and pressed his hands to her shoulders. They really didn't have time to just stand around arguing over who did what to Xin. Karin's anger and blame-game could wait until Xin woke back up. "Where's Tenten? She has a concussion."

"Living room!" Tenten called from down the hall. Naruto led Gaara down the hall, not surprised to see Tenten trying to comfort a red-faced Hinata. The older twin nearly jumped at the sight of her sister but was held down by Suigetsu.

"Calm down, Hina. We can't jostle her right now if she has a concussion," Suigetsu said in a soothing tone. He leaned over the couch and wrapped his arms around Hinata's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. Neji suddenly came from the bathroom, eyes locking on the sight of his unconscious cousin. The room was awkwardly quiet as everyone seemed to just stare each other down. The only ones who seemed to have no ill-will towards anyone was Naruto and Hinata. Naruto glanced at Hinata, noting the tear tracks down her cheeks and sighed heavily.

"Listen, guys?" He decided to speak up. "I know there's as couple of us in here that don't necessarily get along for whatever reason but don't you think we should focus on something a little more important? Like, oh I don't know, the fact that Xin's eyes kept straying back and forth like she's strung out on crack before passing out?"

Suigetsu moved first, coming around the couch to guide Hinata up and away. He kept an arm around her waist, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back. Gaara deposited Xin on the vacated couch, deciding to take Suigetsu's spot at the back of the couch. He wasn't going to budge, even if Karin and Neji were giving him the evil eye. Tenten hovered over Xin, frowning softly. She summoned _Lóngyǎn_ with an open palm and began to wave her hands around the glowing crystal ball. Red energy seeped from the glass, dancing across her hands. _Lóngyǎn_ vanished once more, sinking into her hands like it never appeared in the first place.

She sat at Xin's side on the floor, glowing hands hovering above Xin's face. "She hit her head really hard. Do you know how she hit her head?" She glanced briefly above her at Gaara. His gaze, for whatever reason, had yet to leave Xin's pale face.

"She said she ran into one of the demons and hit the ground. I'm assuming she was running from the other one that was chasing her."

"And her knees?"

"They were already like that when we ran into her," Naruto piped up from behind them. "She probably hit the ground trying to get out of the way of an attack," He explained, eyes straying towards Hinata. She was nervously wringing her hands together, only stopping when Suigetsu laid his hand against her hands. The energy danced across Xin's face, soaking into her forehead. Tenten pressed her hand to Xin's forehead, seemingly waiting for something before she moved down towards her bloody knees. Bits of rock and dirt mixed in with the blood, sticking to her raw skin and causing Tenten to frown. She held her palm above them and used her energy to pull the debris from the blood.

It didn't take long to stitch her knees back together with her energy. Tenten smiled slowly and started to nudged Xin awake. "Oi, Xinny, come on. Wake up."

Neji glanced at Naruto and Gaara. He wanted to be angry with the two but it was quite obvious that Xin would be dead without their help. But hell if he wanted the two around her. Trouble seemed to cling to them like second skin and if Xin insisted on keeping their company, she'd be put in unnecessary danger. It was enough that she and Hinata had gone and broken the enchantments since Karin, Sui and Tenten couldn't keep their damn mouths shut.

A weak groan resounded from Xin, drawing everyone's attention back to her. Xin placed her hands against her face and groaned again, turning on her side in a fetal position. "Oh dear God," She complained, voice muffled by her hands.

"What were you thinking?" Karin demanded hotly as soon as Xin pulled her hands away. She regarded the redhead quietly before slowly sitting up. "Why didn't you tell anyone that you had a late shift tonight? This wouldn't have happened if one of us had been there. God, Xin, why can't you just accept the help when you clearly need it?"

"Great to see you too, Karin," Xin grumbled, rubbing her face. Karin's face turned red to match her hair. "Gaara and Naruto showed up, didn't they? Doesn't that count as accepting help?" She asked with a voice full of sleep and ache.

"And what if they hadn't showed up, Xin? What if you had run into a demon that they hadn't been chasing down, huh?"

Xin's eyes narrowed at Karin's tone. For what felt like the millionth time, Suigetsu decided to interfere. "Karin, that's enough. I know we're all upset about what happened but what's important is that Xin is alive. Naruto and Gaara were there to save her. That's all I care about."

"Why are you always taking everyone's side but mine, Sui?" Karin whirled around on him, eyes flaming angrily. "It's not enough! It's not going to be enough until a fuckin' demon plucks her eighty-nine pound ass up to fuckin' devour her! And then what? Huh? Then what?"

Xin rolled her eyes but slowly got up, waving her friends off when they reached for her. "I just want to get some water," She muttered, leaving the argument in favor for her kitchen. Xin reached into her fridge, trying her best to ignore more voices joining in on the argument. She fumbled with the water bottle, for some odd reason struggling to unscrew the cap.

A much larger hand swiped the bottle from her hand, successfully unscrewing the cap. Gaara handed the water bottle back to her, seemingly bemused by her her plight. "Can't open it by yourself, hm?" He prompted, leaning on the door of the fridge. Xin pinched the bridge of her nose and halfheartedly shoved his arm away. It did nothing to move his arm but he pulled it back anyway, letting her swing door shut. "You have an interesting group of friends."

"I liked them better when I thought we were all human," Xin sighed, sinking down at the kitchen table. "Ever since this entire demon business came to light, they insist on treating my sister and I like children."

"They worry for you. Our world is far more dangerous than yours."

She was kind of surprised that he sat down at the table with her but didn't make a comment on it. "Yeah, I get that but what do they want us to do? Wrap ourselves up in bubble wrap and never leave the apartment? I can't stop living my life just to appease them."

Before he could reply, Hinata and Naruto shuffled into the kitchen. Naruto's usual bright grin was dimmed into a more weak smile. He had a hand pressed to Hinata's lower back, guiding her to the table. Their friends were still arguing. Xin tried to smile at Hinata but it seemed more like a grimace. "Here," She offered her water bottle to Hinata. "All the crying is going to dehydrate you, sis."

"You alright, Xin?" Naruto asked while Hinata drank half the bottle. Xin glanced at him, head tilted to the side. She realized that her friends had been so busy arguing, they hadn't had the chance to ask if she was actually okay. It surprised her how much the simple question and sentiment made her feel.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Just...tired."

"Wanna talk about what happened?" Naruto folded his arms and settled them on the table top. He slouched down and dropped his chin against his arms. He'd just met the girls but something told him that asking them something over telling them what to do would mean a lot to them. He understood where the group of friends were coming from but the twins still had their lives to live. They couldn't just...stop.

Xin shrugged with a deep sigh. "I left the bakery—"

"You work at a bakery?"

"Yeah, both of us. It's called _Mad Batter_."

"Wow, cute."

"Shut up and let her finish, Uzumaki."

Hinata laughed softly at the banter, shaking her head. "I left the bakery, I was on last shift and I was walking home with Hinata on the phone. I heard a portal opening but I tried to walk away to avoid whatever was going to come out. Unfortunately, my scent, or whatever the fuck it is that attracts you motherfuckers, attracted that thing and I heard it following me. I started walking faster but broke out into a run when I realized it was chasing me down."

"I was screaming the entire time but she wouldn't talk to me," Hinata let out a small snort. "All I could hear was her running and this insane laughing in the background. I thought she was going to die."

"Yeah, well, I thought I was going to die too," Xin shrugged her shoulders. "I ran into a park for the woods because I thought maybe ducking behind some trees and all the smells from the forest would help but I ended up bouncing off the chest of the second demon. My head smacked into the ground and he tried to club my face. I rolled out of the way and kind of just stood there because both demons were staring at me. That's when Naruto showed up."

Naruto's smile light up. "So I saved the day, huh? Not a surprise, it's what I do best, after all," He sat up enough to nudge at Hinata in a joking manner. She looked over at him, looking exhausted and completely through but still managed to give him a smile. "Cheer up, Hinata, she made it out alive, yeah?" He continued to nudge her side.

"Yeah, I guess she did," Hinata glanced towards the entrance of the kitchen. She wished everyone would just go home already. She wanted to take a long shower, pull some comfortable pajamas on and climb into Xin's bed to sleep because there was no way in hell she was sleeping by herself tonight. Now when she was so close to losing her sister.

Xin seemed to read Hinata's mind because she slowly stood up. She neared the entrance, leaning her hip against the archway. "Oi, you guys!" She called, just barely managing to speak over their combined voices. "Not that we don't appreciate all the loud bickering—believe me—we do," She shot them a wry grin. "But it's been a long night and I would like to go to bed, if you don't mind?"

"Xin…" Neji trailed off, finally realizing that Gaara and Naruto were alone in the kitchen with his cousins. He frowned darkly, not liking the idea one bit. He was fine in general with them but he didn't trust either of them around his cousins. Not when they apparently smelled so appetizing to demons. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Karin and Suigetsu being around them. He only allowed it so far because Tenten was usually around.

There'd been several occassions, apparently, when Xin was left by herself with Gaara, of all people. That definitely didn't sit right with him because Gaara had a notorious reputation. He feared his cousin's short temper would get her into hot water with the surly demon. He was far too dangerous and Xin meant far too much to him to just let them be alone together.

"Neji, please," Xin blinked hard, arms folded across her chest. "You guys are all right in your own ways. Except me being eighty-nine pounds—fuck you Karin," She sneered at the redhead. She was very proud of her one hundred and eighteen pounds, thank you very much. "I'm an idiot and walking home by myself is arguably the stupidest thing I've done so far but it's late and I'm tired. Hinata is tired. Please, can we just talk about this later? I just want to go to bed."

"Alright," Tenten conceded first, seeing the pure exhaustion in her face. "We're definitely talking about this later but we'll let you get some rest," She approached first, hugging Xin tightly. She ducked passed her to hug Hinata as well, giving both Naruto and Gaara odd looks. She backed off, however, and went for the front door. "Come on Neji, let's go home."

Neji moved slower, reaching for Xin and pulling her into a tight hug. He rested his chin on her shoulder and blatantly stared Gaara down. He may just be a human but he had enough spiritual energy and training to take Gaara on. Gaara coolly returned his gaze, not the least bit bothered by the Hyuga's hard look. He let her go and gave Hinata the same tight hug. Suigetsu clapped his hand over Karin's shoulder, steering her towards Xin. By this point, Hinata had gotten up to save the two a trip further into the kitchen to say goodnight to her. Suigetsu gathered both twins up, hugging them tightly with a grin. For a moment, Karin didn't do anything before she quickly pulled them in for a hug.

The twins watched their friends go quietly, both sharing a sigh when the door closed behind Karin. Xin peeked over her shoulder to say something to the two remaining demons but made an odd noise in her throat. Hinata turned as well to see what bothered her sister only to frown.

The demons were gone.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Yikes. It's a lot of clashing going on. Who do yall agree with? Neji, Tenten, Sui, Karin or the twins? Naruto is my favorite so far. He really is such a sweet boi and clearly just wants everyone to get along. However, he sees a lot of shit going south for everyone.. We'll see how that turns out yeah? Even though I wrote this chapter, I'm not sure if Gaara likes Xin yet. Not in a romantic sense, just in general. So far he's just been interested in her because of her miko heritage but he's acting a bit different, don't you think? It's all so exciting.

I don't have time to reply to reviews but I hope yall know that I love and appreciate every single last one of you, whether it's a review, a follow or favorite. Reviews are my favorite though, just saying. winkwink-nudgenudge . Anyway, as usual, I hope you guys enjoyed the update and tell me what you think. Until next time.


	9. What's love without tragedy

" _Are you sure about this, Jun?"_

 _The miko in question smiled while slowly fixing her dark hair into a high ponytail. She turned to her twin, dusting off her robes. She swiped her_ _bō_ _up, twirling the long staff almost effortlessly. Junko stood at her side, not the least bit worried about her sister accidentally hitting her with the weapon._ " _Now, Onee-chan, weren't you the one who spoke of second chances?" Jun asked with a spark of amusement in her eyes. Junko regarded her sister with a serious gaze, hands neatly folded in front of her._

" _Do not use my words to suit your needs when it's convenient to you," Junko chided coolly. "This demon is different, Jun. I do not trust the look in his eyes."_

 _Jun adjusted her quiver of arrows and slid her longbow to rest on her shoulder. "Mm, yes, he does have a dark look in his eyes but what do you expect? He is a demon, after all, but if he is willing to put an end to our warring villages for the sake of some peace, should we not give him a chance?"_

 _Junko's eyes narrowed slowly. "We shall grant him a chance but I insist we keep a careful eye on this demon, sister. Any demon who is willing to build a village in our world is a person of interest."_

" _That's the spirit, Onee-chan," Jun grinned at her older sister and threw the curtain of their hut to the side._

 _Yuuta, layered in dark blue robes and weapons, eyed them from the bottom of the stairs. "Must you take so long to ready yourselves?" He asked sourly as Jun and Junko approached them. Jun's grin turned almost impishly as she regarded her impatient older brother. Junko didn't offer a reaction, looking in between her sibling silently._

" _That's no way to speak to the village's priestesses," Jun hummed in good nature. "We are ready to meet with Kuraim, yes?"_

 _Yuuta rolled his eyes but nodded, setting off first. It was odd to just have one guard when leaving the safety of the village but Jun and Junko could easily hold their own. Yuuta only accompanied them to the meeting point because he insisted upon it. The meeting point was a half mile from each settlement, taking place in a simple hut. It didn't take long to arrive._

 _A handsome demon waited for them, tall with red-tinted skin. His blue eyes light up in some hidden mirth as the three siblings approached them. "Priestess Jun and Priestess Junko, I feared you would not come," He hummed kindly. He did not bother to greet Yuuta. Not that the eldest really cared. He was only there to keep the twins safe, he had no need to be kind a demon._

" _Forgive us," Junko spoke up first as per usual. "Humans were not gifted with speed by the Gods," She commented in a tone that wasn't supposed to insult Kuraim. He only grinned at her words, hands folded behind his back._

" _No, I suppose not but the Gods were kind enough to gift you with other blessings, yes?"_

" _Who accompanies you, Kuraim?" Jun asked, eyebrow arched. She looked to the roof of the hut, frowning. Her grip on the bo tightened, ready to fend off a betrayal. A shadow flickered across the rooftop before a woman suddenly landed next to Kuraim. She was his height with thick silver hair and black eyes. She was dressed similarly to Jun and Junko but wore white and black instead of their white and red. She had an odd aura that didn't sit right with either human priestess._

" _Forgive me for failing to introduce her sooner," Kuraim purred innocently. "This is Masuyo, please, don't mind her. She's a bit shy."_

" _A demon priestess?" Junko asked slowly. That was impossible but her aura was similar to that of her own and Jun's aura._

" _We prefer the term mystic. To have a demonic priestess, why, that would be sacrilegious, don't you think? But enough about Masuyo, she's hardly important. We have things to discuss, if you'll follow me, lady priestesses?"_

 _Jun and Junko shared a look but followed after the demon._

Xin's eyes popped open. She frowned slowly, eyes traveling around the room. She realized she had yet another dream/flashback of a life long gone. It frustrated her and she wondered if she should ask Tenten or Xiurong about these dreams. "Masuyo and Kuraim," She whispered to herself, clutching her pillow tightly. "Whatever I just saw...it probably doesn't end well…" She continued to speak in low tones. Kuraim had to be the demon she saw in her dreams weeks ago. The one who promised to hunt her down. But why? What had she done? What had Jun and Junko done to warrant his anger five hundred years later?

"What're you mumbling about?" Hinata sat up with a yawn, rubbing her wild hair. Xin rolled over to her back to peer up at her. After their apartment cleared out of mystical beings last night, Hinata insisted on sleeping in Xin's room. Xin didn't really care, deciding to put her stubborn nature aside only for her sister.

"I had another dream," Xin's eyes strayed to the ceiling. "About Jun and Junko, they had an older brother. Neji has his eyes," Xin began to explain, ignoring Hinata's snort of disbelief. Neji had to have some connection in this whole fiasco somewhere. "They were meeting with a demon, to settle their village's differences. Junko thought Jun was being too trusting…" She trailed off, thinking of the twins' mannerisms. Their similarities bothered Xin. "They met with the demon I dreamed of. The one who threatened us? Only he looked normal and not disfigured. There was a woman with him, she looked... _dark_ ," Xin paused to sit up, adjusting her twisted tank top. "She felt like a priestess but demons can't be priestesses. He called her a mystic…"

Hinata let out a deep sigh before climbing out of the bed. "These dreams of yours is worrying," She rounded the bed towards the door. "Maybe we should talk to Tenten about these dreams. You're having them for a reason and we can't just keep ignoring them," Hinata told her with a look of concern. "Maybe even Xiurong could help us out."

Xin hummed in agreement and got up to get ready for the day. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I'll ask Tenten about it. No doubt one of them will pop up at our place tonight to hound me about my stupidity," Xin rolled her eyes and began to pick out her clothes for the day. She and Hinata were both scheduled at the bakery for a double and she was not looking forward to last shift once more.

"You weren't being stupid," Hinata continued the conversation when Xin emerged from the bathroom, looking awake and fresh-faced. Hinata silently offered her sister a bagel, smiling when Xin gratefully took it. "They have to understand that we aren't children and we still need our independence."

Xin chewed thoughtfully, kind of surprised that Hinata was on her side. The twins understood that there was more danger lurking around the corner for them but they couldn't stop living their lives. What did they expect them to do? Quit their jobs and shut themselves in the apartment? What was stopping demons from seeking them out at their apartment? They'd already been attacked there. Nowhere was really safe anymore. Where did that leave them?

And besides, their friends had lives of their own too. They all had jobs and classes they had to attend to. They couldn't just drop their responsibilities, could they? Although, Xin did wonder if schooling was really necessary for Karin and Suigetsu. They were five hundred years old, after all.

Either way, the group had much to discuss.

* * *

Pulling doubles at a bakery sucked, at least for Xin. Hinata was still mostly on cash register but sometimes dealing with people was just as difficult as baking two hundred cookies for a last minute party. She grumbled angrily, cursing the customer who was stupid enough to order such a large order at the last second. Her partner, a new baker named Tsunami, smiled weakly at her side. She was a bit older than Xin with a young son.

"Well," Tsunami steered Xin away from the cookies. "That's done," She untied her apron and set it aside, having finished her shift. Xin grabbed at her neck, twisting until it cracked loudly. Tsunami shook her head at the sound. "You're far too young to crack like that already," Tsunami reminded her, frowning softly. Xin grunted tiredly, knowing she really shouldn't be cracking her bones. "You doing okay, Xin? You look awful tired these days," Tsunami leaned closer, her maternal instincts kicking in. "Maybe working two jobs is taking a toll on you? Especially since the other job is so violent," Tsunami worried, placing her hand against her cheek.

"Nah, I'm fine. I had the late shift last night and now I'm pulling a double and doing another late shift is all."

"Even so, you're far too young to work as hard as you do. Especially at that gym of yours, pretty girl like you shouldn't fight for a living, of all things," Tsunami lightly chided her. Her comment didn't piss Xin off like it normally would. Just because she had a pretty face didn't mean she couldn't throw a decent punch. But maybe it didn't piss her off because Tsunami was a genuinely nice person and her concern was legitimate.

"It's fine, I barely fight seriously now anymore. I mostly just teach classes to younger kids," Xin rolled her shoulder and followed Tsunami out to the front of the bakery. "Tell Inari I said hello," Xin waved goodbye to her partner, smiling all the while before turning to her sister. She was manning the main register, as usual, easily becoming a fan favorite among their customers.

Hinata glanced behind her as Xin neared her, looking quite amused. "Ah, you have a little flour…" She held up her finger towards her face before chuckling. "Everywhere. You have flour everywhere," Hinata laughed and leaned forward, swiping her finger across Xin's cheek to show that it was coated in flour. Xin shrugged helplessly and began to tell her sister about the idiot who placed the large order at the very last second. The bell above the door chimed, alerting the sisters to a customer's arrival. Hinata turned back with a friendly smile, ready to greet them. "Good evening—oh."

Neither them expected to see Naruto and Gaara come ambling in their bakery. Naruto grinned widely at the sight of them and made a beeline for the counter with Gaara following behind. "Well this is an unexpected development," Xin stated dryly, leaning on the counter. "I don't suppose you two have a sweet tooth?" She looked in between the two demons, waiting for an answer.

"Well, why else would we come into a bakery?" Naruto continued to grin, stopping at the counter. He busily peered down at the array of sweets neatly organized behind the glass. "Oi, Gaara, they have chocolate chip cookies!" He exclaimed, resembling a hyperactive kid and not a powerful demon that could murder the two with ease.

"Naruto, please, don't shout," Hinata lightly chided.

"Right, my bad."

"You like cookies?" Xin prompted with a slow lift of the brow. Gaara looked down at her quietly, not really offering much of a answer save for a quick shrug. Xin made a face but carried on. "Do you guys have...y'know... _money_ to buy said cookies?" her lips curved into a slow smile, filled with amusement.

"Of course we do," Naruto huffed. "We're demons," his voice dropped low into a whisper. "Not animals. What do you take us for?" He sniffed, eliciting a round of chuckles from the quirky sisters. Xin set off to pack away the baked goods he pointed out while Hinata easily rung up the total.

"Something tells me you two aren't just here for the snacks, although, they're quite delicious, if I do say so myself," Xin set the packed sweets on the counter. Every time she convinced herself that she'd seen the last of Gaara, he popped right back up into her life. Although maybe she could chalk this encounter off as Naruto's doing. Even if he did like cookies, Gaara didn't seem like the type to waste time in going into a bakery crawling with humans. Although, with the evening dragging on, the bakery was mostly deserted.

"Maybe we just wanted to see two pretty priestesses," Naruto leaned forward, his goofy grin twisting into a flirtatious one. Xin regarded him with barely a hint of amusement before reaching up to shove the demon away by his face.

"Yeah, sure, nice try," She rolled her eyes in good nature before glancing up at Gaara. She settled her elbows on the counter and leaned over it. "You've been awfully quiet but you tend to tell me the truth so far, so, what're you two doing here? For real?"

Naruto didn't seemed offended at all, turning away to pay for their rather hefty bill of treats. "Suigetsu thought you would react better if we kept an eye on the two of you when you go home," Gaara answered, folding his arms across his chest. Xin instantly frowned at the revelation, taking a deep breath to stop herself from snapping.

"And you agreed to that? Don't you have more important things to do, like, tracking those nasty fuckers down?" She asked, biting her snarl of annoyance down. It wasn't their fault that Suigetsu was worried and for whatever reason, decided to to as he asked of them. They owed the two nothing and yet, here they were, willing to make sure there wasn't a repeat of the other night. At least Suigetsu had the bright idea to give them some space. Gaara shrugged a shoulder, not the least bit interested in answering. Xin rolled her eyes at his stubborn nature and shook her head. "Well, we're on lockup duty tonight. We close in about an hour, I guess you guys are welcomed to stay until we're done. It's not like Anko is here to kick you out," Xin waved a fleeting hand and turned back towards the back of the bakery.

Naruto innocently saluted and grabbed their package of sweets, leading Gaara over to the corner of the bakery. Hinata kept an eye on them halfheartedly as she began to clean up behind the register. Meanwhile Xin cleaned up the back area, gathering a large trash bag to take out back to the dumpster.

She lifted the bag, swinging it into the dumpster with ease. Taking a deep breath and rubbing the back of her neck, she turned and nearly screamed at the figure standing across from her. Her instincts kicked in and before she could stop herself, threw a quick jab. "Fuck!" Jura bent over slightly, holding his nose. "For Kaguya's sake, woman, the hell was that for?" He growled at the little human. Xin stared back at him with a tight frown, not the least bit sorry that she could have potentially broken his nose.

"The fuck do you think it's for? Why are lurking outside of my bakery like this? In a fuckin' alleyway, what'd ya think was going to happen?" Xin snapped at him, hands on her hips. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Smooth," Matsuri suddenly stepped out from behind Jura, not looking impressed at all. "Bested by a human, how embarrassing," She nearly chortled, stopping in front of said human. Xin frowned, blank-faced and suddenly threw another jab, this time hitting Matsuri in the chest. Matsuri clutched at her chest, obviously surprised that Xin was bold enough to hit two demons.

"Told you I wasn't above hitting a girl in the chest. Demon or not, that shit hurts, doesn't it?"

"Fuck," Jura swore again, wondering why a punch from a human girl disoriented him. "Wait," He blinked down at her. "How do you know about demons?"

Before Xin could grace him with a sarcastic answer, the backdoor of the bakery blew open. Gaara and Naruto flew out, readied to fight off yet another attack. Instead they found an unimpressed Xin with a hand on her hip, regarding Jura, who had bruised nose and Matsuri, who was clutching her chest, with a blank expression. Naruto's offensive stance slumped immediately. "Okay, what the fuck," He tried not to laugh but the sight of Gaara's friends from Suna looking quite disheveled was quite the sight. "What the hell is going on out here?"

"Ah," Hinata poked her head out of the door, having followed the demons. "Maybe we could discuss this inside?" She called from her spot, reaching for her sister. Xin allowed Hinata to tug her back inside the bakery. "What in the world happened out there?" She asked, leading the ragtag group back to the front.

"Jura snuck up on me and I punched him in the nose. Matsuri popped up with some snooty comment and I punched her in the chest."

Behind them, Naruto was cackling.

Once the demons were gathered at a cluster of table and chairs, it remained quiet. Xin, who'd finished up the back and was now out front sweeping, glanced at them. "I don't hear you guys talking. You know, when you move your mouth and noise in the form of words come out?" She leaned on the broom, smiling wryly. "Get a move on, I'd like to get home soon."

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Gaara demanded as soon as she stopped talking. He ignored Xin's comment of ' _someone's a bit grumpy',_ opting to turn his fiery eyes on the two other demons. They shrunk into themselves like scolded children. But then Matsuri's eyes flickered in anger and her shoulders suddenly squared.

"Us? What are you doing here?" Matsuri found her spin, sitting up firmly. "You just up and left, barely saying anything to anyone about where on earth you're going. Your siblings know nothing and I doubt Rasa would approve of your…" Matsuri trailed off, eyes darting towards the human girls. Hinata was trying to clean Xin's face up of all the flour. "Approve of the _company_ you currently keep."

Gaara leaned against the table, staring straight into Matsuri's eyes. "Look me in the eye and ask if me if I give a fuck about what Rasa does and does not approve of."

"Gaara, you have responsibilities and—"

"I don't care, Matsuri. I'll do what I like. It's none of your concern."

"It is my concern when you've shucked your responsibilities to hang out with strange _human_ gir!" Matsuri snapped hotly. Just what the hell was he thinking, wasting his time around human girls? Off to the side, there was an indignant girlish huff.

"I think we're getting a bit rowdy," Naruto tried to calm the impending argument down but it only seemed to agitate Matsuri even more. She turned blazing eyes on him, scowling.

" _I_ think I've had enough of _you_. _You're_ the one who dragged him into this situation. The two of you have no business gallivanting around like this."

"Matsuri," Naruto uttered seriously. "Rogue demons from all over _our_ realm are sneaking into this realm to devour humans. Something has to be done," Naruto spoke carefully as to avoid any physical confrontation. Matsuri was usually even-tempered but it was clear that she was at her wit's end. But either way, he wasn't just going to let her talk to him in that tone.

"So you mean to tell me the humans can't take care of themselves?"

"They can only do so much against demons," He sounded fed up, like they'd had this conversation a million times before.

Gaara glanced at Jura, finding it odd that he'd been so quiet. The brunet was busily looking off to the side, towards the twins. "Something interesting catch your attention, Jura?" He prompted in a dry tone. The twins weren't doing anything of interesting so he didn't understand what had his full attention. Jura sat up a little straighter, realizing he'd been caught staring at the human girls.

"They're different. They smell pure. She didn't smell like that the last time I saw her."

"And what business did you have seeing her?"

Jura's shoulders squared defensively. Matsuri and Naruto glanced in between the two, wondering where their conversation was going. "Let's not be oblivious, Gaara. That girl is a ticking time bomb and you're no better. She's a kid and I didn't want her to get hurt by hanging around you. You aren't...well...you're not kind."

"I hardly see why her life means anything to you."

"That's what I've been saying," Matsuri finally spoke up, glad someone else noticed Jura's odd behavior. "Why does it mean anything to anyone?" She folded her arms across her chest, eyes darkening. Xin's shoulders tightened, as if she wasn't supposed to be annoyed with the complete disregard to her freakin' life. She could just tell her and Matsuri would never get along. "This is ridiculous, you're needed in Suna."

"I'll do what I want, Matsuri. I'll remain here until I feel the need to return to Suna."

"This isn't fair to me!" Matsuri snapped hotly. The dark look in her eyes shattered, having been replaced with something more somber. The table became quiet and even the twins paused in their motions, glancing to the table of demons in curiosity. "You can't just do this. You can't do this to me."

"You're the one who insisted on this break, Matsuri," Gaara reminded her coolly. He was growing tired of her near-hysteria. For reasons he couldn't explain, he glanced towards the twins. Hinata was locking the register up while Xin found the counter freakishly interesting, having been wiping it down for several minutes.

"That was before you went off to the goddamn human realm to waste your time with a human child, of all things!"

"Oi!" Xin's waning patience thinned, scowling at her. Hinata paused in her motions for the second time and turned to her sister. She placed a comforting hand on Xin's shoulder but her sister ignored it all together. "I'll sock you in the damn chest again. Whatever relationship problems you two seem to be having has nothing to do with me. It's not like I dragged him here and forced him to stay."

Matsuri openly scowled at the human but turned back to Gaara, seemingly brushing her words off. "Charming, really, Gaara."

Naruto let out a long breath, deep and loud, causing everyone to look at him. "This is fun, it really is but we sort of promised Suigetsu that we'd get the wonder twins over there home safe and sound," He started to stand from his chair, ignoring Matsuri's look of surprise.

"They can't return on their own?"

"Sure they can," Naruto hummed loudly. "We just want to see them home safely," He grinned sardonically, also ignoring Gaara's look of disdain. Now he was just doing that to piss Matsuri off even more. Something he didn't need in his life. It seemed to work because Matsuri stood up quickly, throwing the chair back.

"Wow, rude," Xin muttered under her breath. Hinata lightly smacked Xin's arm with the back of her hand, giving her a look to just be quiet. Matsuri didn't pay any mind to Xin's comment, opting to turn and storm towards the back of the bakery for the back door. "Dramatic much?" She snorted and headed towards the back to lock the back door. She called for Jura to hurry the fuck up.

Jura shook his head, knowing Matsuri would talk his ear off. "I suppose we'll have to continue this situation another time. Maybe once Matsuri has calmed down, yeah?" He stood up and nodded in goodbye. Gaara and Naruto both leisurely waved at him as Jura hurried towards the back. Hinata carefully approached the table to pick up the chair.

Xin came back moments later with Hinata's bag, handing it off with a frown. "She's a delight," Xin commented as she walked to the front door. The three followed after her, waiting while she locked the bakery up for the night. For the first couple of minutes, it was silent between the odd bunch. But Xin, known for her tactless motormouth, could never stay silent for long. "So that's your girlfriend, huh?" She prompted, hands folded behind her back to give off the air of innocent curiosity. Next to her, Gaara peered down at her.

"Don't speak on things you don't understand," Gaara replied, glancing briefly at her. Even for a human, she was rather small. He wondered if it had something to do with genetics because her sister was the same height. Hinata and Naruto ambled along in front of them, causing Hinata's short stature to look exaggerated next to Naruto's burly form.

"I think I do understand though," Xin piped up with an amused grin. He wondered if her height seemed exaggerated next to him. He was about the same height as Naruto. "Can I tell you what I understand?"

"I think that even if I say no, you'd tell me anyway."

Xin grinned widely, eyes twinkling in mirth. "Look who's catching on," She hummed in good nature. "I think she loves you more than you love her," Xin stated in a innocent tone. "I heard you mention a break. Men, demon or not, are very simple. If they want something, they get it. If you wanted her, you'd have her. Well, _still_. Sounds like you already had her," She wiggled her eyebrows. "How long have you been playing this game with her?"

"I'm not playing any game with her and it's none of your business," He nearly snarled down at her. She didn't seem deterred, staring up at him with her freakishly big eyes. They made him feel uncomfortable.

"Yes you are. _Men don't take breaks_. She thinks you'll eventually get back together and that's why she's chasing you down. Probably wants to make sure you don't meet an attractive demon to steal you from her. But you don't have any intentions of getting back together with her anyway."

Gaara glared down at her, refusing to admit that this nosy ass human was right. What Xin failed to realize was that demons were completely different from humans when it came to relationships. For one, love was mostly viewed as a human emotion. Demons usually mated for more sensible reasons, such as gaining power or influence. Or even unifying warring families. There was some demons who mated for love, such as Naruto's parents before his father perished in one of the many demon wars that ravaged their realm. Their love story was practically famous. Hell, even Rasa, asshole that he was, loved Gaara's mother.

No, he didn't love Matsuri and he probably never would. It was wrong and cruel of him to lead her on but at the time, he'd thought he could at least grow to tolerate her enough to mate. But that just wasn't the case and he found himself drifting further from her. Of course, she noticed immediately and after a few months of enduring their crumbling relationship, suggested they take a break. He just couldn't see himself with her in the long run romantically. They always made better friends but Matsuri was determined to make a love story out of them.

"You seem to know a lot about relationships yet you are single," Gaara commented blandly, hoping she'd take the bait. Xin was by no means unattractive. In fact, he was sure that for human standards, she was actually quite appealing. But for demons, well, she was too small and fragile looking. On top of that, her eyes would turn any demon away. They were too…pure, wide and trusting.

Xin, weird woman that she was, simply grinned. Most women took offense when their status was brought up. "I don't have much experience truthfully but I've seen enough of shit like this. So, what is it, you got commitment issues or you just don't want to be with _her_ specifically."

"I think you're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, human," He had enough of her questions. Something told him to just tell Suigetsu to fuck off earlier when he approached the two of them. He didn't owe the man a damn thing but he agreed to see the twins home anyway. Hell, he didn't owe the twins either. Now that she revealed her heritage to him, he had no reason to see her again. Yet, here they were.

Xin's grin didn't falter. She made a humming noise and nodded. "Probably a bit of both," She commented casually. "You should probably just tell her the truth. You shouldn't force a relationship."

He didn't bother to reply, eyes narrowing slightly. Ahead of them, Naruto closed in on Hinata, grabbing at her arm to pull her to his side. Xin's grin finally dropped in favor of a frown. She liked Naruto, he seemed rather nice and laid-back but he was a bit of a flirt and there was no way in Hell she was going to let him make a move on her sister. But then Gaara casually slipped his arm around her shoulder, halting any shout of protest bubbling from her throat. She wasn't sure what pissed her off more. The fact that he wrapped his arm around her or the fact that he could effortlessly do so because of her height.

That's besides the point.

"There's demons nearby," Gaara explained shortly, watching as Naruto practically hunched over Hinata. "It'll help if your scent is somewhat masked under ours," He explained, feeling how stiff her shoulders became under his arm. He didn't really blame her. The last time his hands had been this close, they were wrapped around her neck.

"What makes us so tasty to demons? Don't they eat all humans in general?" Xin asked, trying to relax under his hold. His arm, she noticed, was quite heavy. "Shouldn't you go make sure other humans aren't being currently eaten?"

"Tenten and Neji are heading towards them," Gaara answered simply. "Supposedly devouring the flesh of a priestess gives demons a….power boost of sorts. That's why I said only weak demons seek priestesses out. Or, demons who are not satisfied with their natural power and class."

"Class?"

"Classification based on power. S, A, B, C, D, and E. S being the highest, E being the weakest."

"What's your class?"

A slow smirk was the only answer she received, causing her to frown in thought. Clearly he wanted to keep her in the dark about his class. He had to be a high class since stating that he was above eating miko. "How come demons don't try to eat Tenten? She's blessed with Divine Power," She pointed out, remembering Tenten's origin story. Shouldn't they keep Tenten away from demons as well?

"Tenten was blessed by a Dragon King, impressive, but not the same. Miko are blessed directly from the Gods. Her family won favor but miko are born with their power. They're as close as a human can get to being a God," Gaara explained, wondering why she seemed to have so many questions. Suigetsu, Karin and Tenten should have already told her all of this. He frowned thoughtfully. Their insistence of keeping the miko twins in the dark would be the death of the girls.

He could understand Xin's frustration with the group. They were being treated like children despite being adults. The three were essentially trying to force them into a lifestyle they did not want. Of course he could also understand their side as well. Xin and Hinata were ignorant of how dangerous the demon realm was. He tried not to think about it. The friction in their group had nothing to do with him. In fact, after he and Naruto delivered the troublesome twins to their apartment, he was washing his hands of Hyuga Xin.

* * *

"Dammit," Xin swore quietly the next afternoon. After pulling a double for the bakery, Anko decided the twins needed a day off. She even contacted Gai at _Primary Lotus_ and practically threatened him into giving Xin a day off. You'd think a buff owner of a gym wouldn't be terrified of a bakery owner but Anko was crazy and Xin didn't blame Gai.

"What's wrong?" Hinata poked her head out of the bathroom, hair wrapped in a towel and mouth full of toothpaste. Their parents would be mortified at the sight of their eldest daughter.

Xin turned to her sister, holding up a large jacket that clearly didn't belong to either of them. "Gaara put it on me to hide my scent. I wanted to give it back last night but he has this awful habit of vanishing like he's Harry Houdini or some shit."

"I'm impressed, you almost got through two sentences without shoving a curse word in there. What would Miko Jun and Junko say? Such a foul-mouthed descendant."

Xin snorted at her sister's words and shook her head. A lot of people didn't know that Hinata had quite a sense of humor. She laid the jacket on the back of the couch and hurried to her room to get dressed. They had a morning and afternoon of errands to tend to, despite having the day off. Once they finished their errands, they planned on heading to Dragon's Way.

She came out moments later, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a plain white shirt. Xin glanced down at the couch, frowning at the sight of the too large jacket. She hummed quietly and ventured towards the closet by the door. She reached in and pulled out a jacket that belonged to Suigetsu. Hinata came out of the bathroom, dressed smartly in a pretty blue blouse and dark pants. She looked elegant and Xin almost regretted ruining the outfit. "Here, it smells like Sui."

"I'm not sure if I want to smell like Suigetsu."

Xin snorted and shook her head. "We have to at least try to hide our scent, right? I'll wear Gaara's jacket for now and you wear Sui's jacket. It's black so it'll match," She explained, holding the jacket out. "At least it'll seem like we're putting an effort, right?"

"I suppose so," Hinata conceded, taking the jacket. It didn't ruin her outfit but she hadn't planned on wearing one. She could see Xin's logic. Xin shrugged into Gaara's jacket, rolling the wide sleeves up to her elbows. It practically swamped her, causing her to look even smaller than usual. She gathered her bag, threw her phone and list of errands into the bag and the two were on their way.

* * *

"Did you call Xiurong and let her know that we'd be stopping by?" Hinata asked as they turned the street leading down to Dragon's Way. She had a protective arm wrapped around Xin's arm. It wasn't like there was much she could should a demon attack them but at least she had a firm grip on her sister. If all else failed, she would run and drag her sister with her.

"Yeah, she said it was fine," Xin shrugged indifferently and slipped into the restaurant. Dragon's Way was just closing up and Tao, Tenten's father, waved at the twins. He motioned for them to head towards their living room, where Xiurong was probably waiting.

"Plum blossoms!" Xiurong exclaimed as Xin and Hinata stepped into her home. She threw her arms around their necks, gathering them to her chest in a motherly hug. "It's wonderful to see you. You haven't been by the restaurant in such a long time," She chattered animatedly before releasing the girls. "Please, sit, sit."

Xin and Hinata did so, making small talk as Xiurong bustled back and forth from the kitchen. Just as she was coming out with a tray of tea, Tenten and Neji came thumping down the stairs. Xin noticed them first, as Hinata was busily reaching for an offered teacup. Tenten blinked at them, nearly being run over by Neji. "You didn't tell me you were expecting the twins, Mama," Tenten uttered carefully. Hinata finally looked over her shoulder and offered a quick smile. Due to Suigetsu's insistence ( _once more_ ) the group had decided to give the twins more space. They worried for the girls but hounding them and arguing was not going to help the girls.

"I wasn't expecting you two either," Xiurong commented cheerfully while sitting down. "But you're here so come sit. I feel we have much to discuss and—" Xiurong paused and turned just as Karin and Suigetsu came from Dragon's Way. "Hello," She greeted in her same cheerful voice. Xin noticed blankly that Xiurong had brought seven teacups. "Come sit, yes?"

The four did as they were asked, sitting down with the twins. "Is that my jacket, Hina?" Suigetsu spoke up first, shattering the awkward silence that had fallen over the group. Hinata looked down at herself, forgetting that she was wearing his jacket.

"Oh, well, yes. I hope you don't mind, you left it at our place and Xin thought it would be a good idea to hide our scent under another demon's scent."

"Yeah?" Karin leaned closer towards Xin, glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose. "Whose jacket do you have on, Xin?"

Xin reached up, pushing Karin's glasses back up her nose. "It's Gaara's jacket," Xin answered casually, watching as Karin's eyes narrowed. "Don't you start your bullsh—" Xin paused and thought better of cursing in front of Xiurong. "Don't start your mess, _Rin_."

Karin scowled at the nickname and opened her mouth to argue with Xin but Suigetsu grabbed her and pulled her back to his side. Xiurong looked around the room, humming in thought. "There is friction that was not there before."

No one jumped to explain and it irritated Xin. They had so much to say for the past couple of days. Now that Xiurong was there, they had nothing to say. "Well, don't all speak at once," She slumped into the couch. "You guys were very vocal the other night. Don't let the two of us stop you, it hasn't before."

Xiurong looked in between the young adults, frowning at their stubborn ways. "Well, alright then," She said after a long moment. "Plum blossom, you said you had to ask me something about dreams? What's that about?"

Xin shifted, suddenly not as willing to talk about her odd dreams since she had an audience. She knew it worry her friends even more if she told them she was having more of these odd flashbacks. Plus, there was also that one dream when Kuraim basically threatened her for whatever reason. Whatever Jun and Junko did to that man, he was still angry about it five hundred years later. Way to hold a damn grudge…

"I've been having these weird dreams. They show me things from Jun and Junko's lifetime. That's how I figured out Karin knew them and that there was another Ruolan," Xin began to explain. Xiurong didn't react, only nodding her head. "But before these dreams started to happen...I had a different a dream. There was this man, a demon. He was looking for something and I felt like he was looking directly at me," Xin's fingers began twitching nervously around the teacup. She rolled her lips together, suddenly feeling very sick. Karin had gone pale, eyes slightly wide. She sat backwards into the couch and looked at Suigetsu. He looked disturbed, jaw set firmly. "He's been trying to track me down for a long time but he's getting closer. He said that we can't hide forever and that we'll pay. I don't know what for…."

"What did he look like?" Xiurong's eyes had gone hard. She was sitting up, shoulders squared. She flipped her palm upward and waved her other hand over it, summoning her own crystal ball. It manifested from her hand, growing in size until it was an orb of swirling blue light. It hovered above her lap before settling into her hands.

"His skin was red and his eyes were light blue. He had these really big horns coming out of his forehead, like a ram's horns," Xin began to describe the demon that was apparently hunting them down. "But then he wavered and suddenly...one of his horns was a bloody stump and the left side of his face was scarred," She reached up towards her face, pulling her skin down in a twisted grimace. "I had another dream last night. Jun and Junko wanted to meet with a demon. He wanted to establish a village in the human world but Junko didn't trust it. Jun wanted to give him a chance. The demon had a demon woman with him and she felt like a priestess but he called her a mystic…"

"Do you know their names?"

Xin glanced around, taking note of Karin and Suigetsu's grim expressions. Tenten and Neji's faces were pinched tightly while Xiurong remained mostly calm except for the hard look in her eyes. Her fingernails tapped against the glass of the crystal ball, creating a beat that the swirling magic trapped inside seemed to react to.

"Kuraim and Masuyo."

Xiurong stopped her tapping, lips pinching. She began to mutter something, far too low and in a different language. Xin was sure that it was Mandarin but she couldn't remember. The Chinese language had far too many dialects to keep up with and if she was correct, Xiurong could speak more than one dialect. The blue magic swirled almost violently, a stark contrast to its usual calm, almost sleepy-like, swirling. Xiurong's nails flicked towards Xin, directing the crystal ball towards Xin. The younger girl seemed uncomfortable as the orb floated in front of her but she didn't lean away. An image of a man appeared in the magic with a self-assured smirk. "Is that the man you saw?"

It was Kuraim. Blue eyes, bloody stump, grimace and all. "Yes."

Karin placed her hands in her face, sighing heavily. "I knew that bastard wasn't dead," She uttered into her palm, sounding fed up and tired.

"Language, Flamingo Lily," Xiurong lightly chided the redhead. Suigetsu leaned over, wrapping an arm around Karin to offer some sort of comfort. Hinata looked around, frowning slightly. Xin was still staring into the crystal ball, eyes wide and unblinking as if she was trapped in a trance.

"What happened between him and the miko twins?" Hinata prompted, not in the mood for suspense. She hoped their wasn't some obscure rule about keeping that from them. She was quite sick of these surprises and if there was another rule keeping them from the truth, she was calling it a night and going to bed.

"Kuraim did want to establish a village in the human realm. He became...friends with the priestesses, I suppose. Uneasy but there was some type of friendship there. Junko was never comfortable with it but they had less problems from rogue demons in their area because of Kuraim's settlement so she accepted it. Yuuta, I'm sure you saw their older brother, flat out didn't like it but there was nothing he could do," Karin jumped into the explanation, knowing Xiurong wouldn't be able to explain it like she could.

"I think Kuraim developed feelings for Jun. She was a wonderful woman, after all. She was more...free-spirited than Junko. She showed him kindness easily and he mistook her kindness for something different," She paused, blinking hard. "Jun was free-spirited but she still took her role as a priestess seriously. Often times, priestesses will take vows of chastity and devote their life to their job. On top of that, Jun did not feel the same for him. Their friendship was mostly rocky because as miko, they did not agree with a demon's way of life. Kuraim, although tolerant to the twins, was a cruel man and hated humans. Even so, he still believed he loved Jun."

Xiurong motioned for her crystal ball to return. "Jun rejected his advances and Kuraim was livid that a human like her wouldn't return his feelings. He was powerful, rich and his village of demons obeyed him with no problem. She was just a lowly woman with some purity running through her veins. Things get a little murky at this point but I think Masuyo convinced Kuraim to launch an attack on the human village. Half of the village was slaughtered, including their brother. Jun and Junko were nearly unforgiving...it was…I wasn't expecting either girl to react so violently….they fought through throngs of demons to get to Masuyo and Kuraim…."

"Jun was the one who tore off Kuraim's horn and scarred his face like that. She and Junko managed to seal him away but Masuyo escaped. Unfortunately, that's where the twins met their end. Ruolan was too late to save them from death but she knew they would be reborn so that's why she decided to cast a spell on their souls to protect them from Kuraim and Masuyo."

Xin and Hinata sat in stunned silence. "I knew telling them wouldn't be a good idea," Tenten scowled in Karin's general direction. The demon's head popped up, eyes narrowed.

"Are you saying this is _my_ fault?" She asked, eyes lighting up like scorching flames.

"I never said anything but the fact that you're getting so defensive says a lot," Tenten sniffed, folding her arms across her chest. "You were the one who kept pushing to tell them. You were the one who told them to go ask their parents about their family's history."

"That doesn't make this my fault. Xin already knew Gaara way before I said anything. She was gonna find out anyway since she insists on being friends with the psycho," Karin snapped angrily.

Xin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Hinata glanced at her, worried that she would lose her temper and throw her teacup of scalding tea at one of them. "You've befriended Gaara, Plum Blossom?" Xiurong prompted, ignoring her bickering daughter and Karin.

"No, I wouldn't really say that. More like we keep running into each other, is all," Xin replied blankly, not in the mood to explain her relationship with Gaara. For one, she didn't understand the nature of their relationship. Were they friends? She didn't necessarily hate him like in the beginning but she was...confused about him.

Xiurong made a humming noise but didn't comment any further on it. "I suppose the dreams are Jun and Junko trying to warn you of what's to come."

"You think so?" Xin muttered, remembering her fear of having to wrestle Jun for their souls. "How does...how does having her soul work out?"

"What do you mean, Plum Blossom?"

"Is it my soul or is it hers? Is it half of mine or is it half of hers? How does this work out?" Xin spat the words out like acid fire. As her body stayed relaxed, her rambling was the only indication that she was nervous.

Xiurong frowned with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "I obviously did not know Jun or Junko personally but my mother had enough of Ruolan's memories to tell me about them. I believe your souls are more so...intertwined. Just because you are her reincarnation does not mean you are her or Hinata is Junko."

"No but they're paying for the choices they made," Neji grumbled distastefully. His cousins didn't deserve any of this. Tenten and Karin constantly went back and forth about who's to blame for this entire debacle. When it came down to it, it was Jun and Junko's doing.

Karin turned towards him, scowling harshly. Demon or not, he didn't care for her anger. "Just what are you trying to say?" She inquired icily.

Neji met her gaze. "I'm not trying to say anything," He drawled almost lazily. "This is Jun and Junko's doing. My cousins are not at fault and shouldn't worry about being hunted down by some psychotic demon with a five hundred year old grudge."

Karin visibly bristled and her pupils thinned into slits. Her hair seemingly twitched before two large fox ears sprouted from her skull. "They did everything they could that day and look how they ended up! Dead!"

"And at the rate this whole situation is going, Xin and Hinata will be joining them for something they had no part of," Neji snapped, voice never rising. "They didn't do everything they could that day. Had that been the case, Kuraim and Masuyo would be dead along with Jun and Junko. Their best was sealing him away and letting Masuyo escape."

Karin's gaze could have sent him straight to Hell. "I will not sit here and listen to you badmouth Jun and Junko."

"Then don't."

Xin raised a slow brow, looking in between the two. She'd never actually witness her cousin clash with Karin like this. Neji could be an asshole but he usually kept his cool among their group. It was usually her or Tenten going at it with Karin. But Neji usually remained indifferent to all the fighting. To see them go at it was odd. "You guys…." She trailed off but they continued bickering.

Xiurong calmly watched the exchange, eyebrows slightly raised. She leaned towards the twins. "Is this how they've been behaving recently?"

"Basically," Hinata sighed.

Xiurong nodded and waved her hand. The crystal ball shuddered before jerking upwards. It shuddered for a second time, blue magic beating against the glass. A blinding light flashed and then liquid drops rained down on them. Karin and Suigetsu's skin began to sizzle while Tenten and Neji looked physically sick. The twins, on the other hand, remained unaffected and confused.

"Mom!" Tenten shouted once the blinding light subsided.

"What just happened?" Xin looked around at her friends in concern. They were getting on her last bit of nerves but that didn't mean she wanted to see them hurt in any way. Unless she punched them in the face.

"It's a spell that imitates a miko's touch of purity," Xiurong explained shortly. "Now, are we quite finished behaving like children? Yes? Good. I understand your points of concern for Hinata and Xin but let's not forget that they are fully capable of making their own decisions. That doesn't mean you can't give them advice but all of this arguing and blame-game is ridiculous. You're adults, act like it." It wasn't often that Xiurong spoke sternly but when she did, it was best to heed her words. She, like Hinata, had patience but she was no Buddha.

"Well…." Suigetsu said after a long pause. If anything, Suigetsu seemed to be on their side the most. He constantly came to their defense, putting him at odds with Karin and talked them all into giving the twins their space. "What are you girls going to do?" He asked slowly, hoping he wouldn't get his head chewed off first.

Hinata and Xin glanced at one another, thinking the situation over. "There isn't much we can do," Hinata began to say, tilting her head to the side. "But we can't just...not live our life and expect any of you to stop your lives for us. It's not fair and it's no way to live. You know how much independence means to the both of us and they way you've been acting so far has been clashing with our independence."

Xin, who'd been looking down in her cup of tea, frowned softly. "A miko's touch of purity…" She muttered. "That's how Jun and Junko protected themselves and their village, right? By purifying the demons?"

Xiurong smiled almost knowingly, as if she'd been waiting for one of the twins to make the connections. "Yes, that's how they protected themselves. They also had Karin, Suigetsu and Ruolan but they mostly took care of themselves."

"Do you think it's possible for us to learn to protect ourselves?"

Xiurong's smile morphed into a full on grin. "Why, of course you can."

* * *

TeeBeMe: I kind of feel bad for making Matsuri so bitchy. It's not her fault, yall. She's just frustrated, she's in love with an asshole, after all. Xin is also an asshole so just imagine having to deal with that. Gaara and Xin are truly a nightmare together, lol. She's really a sweet person, I swear. Hopefully I'll be able to utilize her sweet personality once she simmers down.

There's so much that I have planned for this story and Gaara and Xin's relationship and it frustrates me that they're in their early stages of their relationship. I just want them to kiss already. I don't want their relationship to develop too quickly but I'm not sure if I can handle writing a slow-burn, I want them together already dammit! Gaara still acting pretty funny but Xin is already 100 percent done with him and all of his shenanigans. Also, I clearly have a height kink. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Read, review, follow and favorite! Remember, I loooooove reviews. Who doesn't? See you next chapter.


	10. Thinkin' bout you

_Xin's P.O.V_

Tapping into spiritual energy is harder than I originally thought. For one, no one but me and Hinata were actually priestesses. Apparently spiritual energy was different from Neji's regular ass energy or Tenten's Divine Power. Karin and Suigetsu were obviously useless as all Hell. Xiurong finally suggested that we visit the Hyuga family once more. Someone had to know something about spiritual energy. Neji thought it would be a good idea to speak to Tsubame, our paternal grandmother. Which would have been fine and everything, except visiting my grandparents up in the sticks is the entire reason why I'm in this mess in the first place.

"At least try to fix your face," Hinata hummed serenely as we approached the house. Luckily I didn't hit any stray demons on the way up here but that still wasn't enough to lift my mood. Tenten was nice enough to lend us her car for the trip up here and that made me even more paranoid. The last thing I needed was to wreck Tenten's car. She loved her fuckin' car and would probably buss me in the head with that damn crystal ball of hers if I ruined it.

"Tsubame better know some shit. I did not take this trip all the way up here for nothing," I sniffed distastefully. Hinata laughed at my sour mood and led the way towards the kitchen. Tsubame's old eyes sized us up as we walked into the kitchen, a look of thought on her face. Tsubame didn't necessarily have a favorite grandchild. It really just depended on her current mood. For the most part I got along with her but she had a sadistic sense of humor.

"Well," She turned towards the kitchen table and slowly settled down, her look of thought still in place. "You girls must want something important if you bothered to make the trip all the way up here," She commented simply while we settled across from her. "It's not like anyone ever bothers to visit just because."

"You live in the middle of nowhere surrounded by wild animals, whose fault is that?" I asked blankly. Hinata sighed heavily, already ready for our banter. I think Tsubame enjoyed our back and forth though.

"Youth today, so soft," Tsubame shook her head. "So you saw a bear or wild boar. I told Hiashi not to raise you in the city but does he ever listen to me?"

"Good thing he didn't," I snorted. "We'd be hermits."

"At least you wouldn't be scared of a bear."

"Yeah because who's afraid of a bear or two?"

Tsubame smirked and shook her head. "Would you like a cookie?" She asked sweetly, pushing a plate of seemingly innocent cookies towards us. Hinata, the sweetheart that she was, reached for a cookie. I grabbed her arm and pulled it back. Without breaking eye contact, I grabbed a cookie from the plate and rapped it against the table. It didn't crumble like it should have, instead emitting a hollow noise.

"Grandmother," Hinata admonished lightly as I tossed the brick-ass cookie back to the plate. Tsubame folded her arms stubbornly and huffed, turning her nose up.

"Well, had you visited when they were fresh…"

"Oh for Heaven's sake!" I threw my hands up. Hinata only hummed loudly, probably proud that I hadn't said for _fuck's sake_ for once. "That's not the point, ya old bat."

" _Xin_."

"Then what is, you useless idiot?"

" _Grandmother."_

I folded my arms across my chest and glared down at her rotten cookies. Hiashi always said Tsubame liked being difficult and maybe that's why he was so emotionally stunted. His father was an asshole and his mother had a twisted, difficult sense of humor. My dad never had a chance and for that, my sisters and I didn't either. And I mean, sure, my sisters probably seemed normal as hell next to me. I just tended to loudly project everything that was wrong with me. People often thought that coming from money meant you had the perfect life. And I mean, I guess life was easier since money was at our disposal but well...where did that leave us psychologically?

"You're here for a reason," Tsubame uttered not unkindly. "Not that I mind the visit—why didn't you bring Hanabi—but why are you here?"

"We know about Jun and Junko."

Tsubame didn't react, not that I thought she would. A lot of people thought Hiashi got his iron will and spine from his father. Fuck no he didn't. That was all Tsubame. "Well, they are our ancestors. You should know a bit of our history."

"No you senile old bat, we _know_ about them. As in, we know they were twin priestesses and all about demons," I rolled my eyes and shifted in my chair. I wouldn't put it past her to throw one of those brick ass cookies at me. She's thrown harder things before.

Tsubame met my gaze with her own gaze of stone. "And how do you know about that?"

"Jun told me."

"Jun has been dead for over five hundred years."

"Yeah, you tell that to her. I'm sick of all her freaky dreams/flashbacks. We also asked Tenten, Suigetsu and Karin about it. They filled in the blanks. Mom too."

Tsubame's face settled as if she smelled something foul. "Kiyone and I told Manami not to let you two become so close to those three but does she ever listen? Of course not. Now you girls know things you have no business knowing…"

"This isn't about our Mother," Hinata spoke up, squaring her shoulders. "Jun and Junko wanted us to know about them because something from their past is hunting us down. We can't depend on the others all of the time and Xiurong said it's possible to protect ourselves."

Tsubame's shoulders tightened but she sat back, trying to convey her usual air of impassiveness. "You girls have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"Well, if everyone would just stop speaking in rhymes and riddles, we'd probably know. But that's besides the point. Whatever we're getting into, we're in it already. Deep. We were already attacked by demons and I've been pretty much threatened by a Satan reject."

"Satan reject?"

"The one who's responsible for their deaths is coming after us."

I watched my grandmother's face turn grim. Well, that wasn't a good sign. "I see. So what is it that you want from me? I can't protect you."

The fuck was wrong with my family? Mom pretty much said the same thing. And okay, I got it, if we hadn't gone digging through our family's History, we'd be fine. But to hear your mother and grandmother say that they couldn't protect you...well…it just sucked. They weren't even going to try. "Can't or won't?" I scowled at her. Tsubame didn't immediately reply and I rolled my eyes. "Never-mind then, we'll do it ourselves. As usual," I sighed and shook my head. "Can you at least tell us how to awaken spiritual energy?"

Tsubame leaned across the table, poking at my chest. "It _is_ awakened, you twin morons," She snapped nastily. "You just have to learn how to _control_ it."

" _How_?"

"Do I look like a priestess to you? You're the miko, that's up to you. Don't you feel something odd beneath your skin and in your veins?"

"Moon dust and pure snow."

Tsubame glanced in between us, a thin brow quirked. "Call upon the oddity hidden under your skin and direct it to do as you please. To purify, to protect, to heal. You decide what to do with the energy. Call on it."

* * *

"Well that was helpful," I scowled the entire drive home. Hinata didn't say much, staring down at her hands. She was frowning softly, nose wrinkled in thought. She kept repeating Tsubame's words to herself. Her behavior didn't really worry me. We both tended to mutter and talk to ourselves when trying to solve a problem.

"It's there, we just have to call it...perhaps we should try to meditate?" Hinata pieced together slowly as I pulled into the parking lot of Tenten's apartment building. She insisted that bringing back the car tomorrow morning was fine but I wasn't in the mood for that. It was late but Neji or Tenten would drive us back. If not, then we'd just walk back.

"We could try it," I shrugged, open to anything. I wasn't going to shoot down her idea when I hadn't thought of shit. "It's better than nothing," I slid out of the car and waited for her to round the car. She smiled slowly, like she expected me to shoot the idea down. "It's a pretty good idea to start with," I continued to compliment her. We turned towards the building when something heavy landed in front of us. Fear didn't settle in my chest this time. Maybe it was the long drive that took all of my energy or something because I just felt annoyed and tired. I wanted to go home and just lay the fuck down.

An overgrown wolf looking creature stared down at us. I backed Hinata up towards the car, wondering if we should risk trying to jump back into the car. The wolf demon pulled it's lips back into a drooling snarl, revealing rows and rows of far too many teeth. It was wonder that it could even close it's damn mouth in the first place. "Perfect," I drawled, pressing my arm across Hinata's chest. Her fingers curled into the sleeve of my hoodie. "So sis, should we make a run for it? Or…" I trailed off sardonically. "Either way, someone's going to yell at me for this."

"How...how could this possibly be your fault?" Hinata asked slowly, other hand inching towards her pocket for her cellphone. Clearly Tenten and Neji were fuckin' oblivious to what was going on out here. "We're literally outside their apartment building. It's not like we decided to walk home from work or something…"

"Yeah I guess so—argh!" I shoved Hinata down to the ground as the wolf demon took a dangerous swipe at us. I yanked her to the side and shoved at her back, propelling her forward as the demon took yet another swipe. Three of his claws caught my arm, shredding the sleeve and my skin. I shrieked and nearly fell to my knees from the pain. Blood immediately began spewing from my arm like a broken fountain. Hinata turned at my shriek, face paling at the sight of the blood.

She ducked under the demon's arm and darted back towards me. Sweat broke out across my forehead and glancing down, I noticed an odd glow emitting from my ravaged arm. "That can't possibly be good," I uttered solemnly. For some odd reason, my voice sounded far away. Hinata yanked me to my feet, hands tightening around me as the demon looked at us. "Oi, Hinata, is...is the world spinning? Because….cause…..the world is fuckin' spinning, Hinata, it's _spinning_. Are you spinning the world?"

The apartment doors burst open and Neji and Tenten came charging out. Fuckin' finally. A dome of energy formed around us but I barely even registered it. My fuckin' arm felt like it was twitching under the mess of blood. "I think my veins are falling out," I muttered blankly. Hinata crouched over me, arms wrapped tightly around my torso. She was busily looking down at my arm, barely registering that Neji and Tenten finally came to our defense.

I sagged into Hinata's embrace, sweating deeply. They made quick work of the wolf demon and ran towards us. The barrier fell and Tenten crouched over us, letting out a groan when she got a good look at my arm. "Shit," She swore through her teeth. She's been cursing a lot lately. I mean, she was no saint but she didn't curse as often as I did. "Neji, get her upstairs. She's got poison in her and it's traveling fast."

I didn't physically feel my cousin pull me into his arms. That was alarming but I didn't panic. I just...I felt I was far away and was looking at everything through a murky fish bowl. I could hear Hinata and Tenten talking as they practically ran up several flights of stairs but don't ask me what they were saying cause hell if I knew.

I was too busy _foaming at the fuckin' mouth_.

Their voices all mixed together to form garbled nonsense but it was easy to put together that they were straight up panicking. Not that I blamed them. I was frothing like a rapid fuckin' animal and now my body was jerking around like I snorted thirty lines of cocaine. Whatever was in me needed to be removed soon. Neji grabbed at my arm, holding it up and barking at Tenten to get herself together. I was going to die. The poison was in my system and I'm going to die. I'm twenty-one and _I'm going to die_.

Something heavy pressed against my chest, pounding against my rib-cage. It was urgent and it tasted like pure snow but fuck, it _burned_. My insides were on fire and it suddenly felt like something was surging up my throat. Hinata must have known something was up because she dove forward to grab me by the shoulders. She hefted me up and turned me to the side just as I opened my mouth and threw _something_ up. It fell out in lumpy chunks of gray, thumping against the floor loudly. I was gasping and choking and heaving because _what the fuck was that_?

I barely had time to examine whatever the fuck I just spit out because my arm suddenly felt like it was on fire. A scream tore it's way from my throat, cut off by Hinata planting her hand firmly against my mouth. Neji grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me back down. I continued to scream against Hinata's hand, eyes screwed shut so tightly that tears squeezed from under my lids. It felt like my skin was being peeled from my bones. It felt like I was being stabbed repeatedly in the same spot. It felt like I was fuckin' dying.

I felt the familiar sparks of Tenten's energy dancing across my skin. I felt the spilled blood being sucked away and the torn skin being pulled back together. It was over in mere seconds but I could still feel the sensation of my arm being shredded open like I was made out of paper. Hinata and Neji pulled away but Hinata remained close by, helping me sit up. Tenten was looking down at the mess of lumpy throw up, frowning softly. Neji sat back, eyes closed like he was meditating or some shit. Hinata grabbed at my arm, inspecting it. It seemed fine save for the jagged scar from my wrist all the way to my elbow. Well, that was neat.

"What happened?" Neji's eyes popped open. He looked annoyed and Hinata glanced over her shoulder at him, frowning.

"Oh no you don't," She uttered, hands tightening around me. "This is not our fault _at all_. All we did was get out of the car. You two should have been more alert," Hinata yanked her arms away to stand up. She twirled around on them, hands folded across her chest. Holy shit, Hinata was actually reprimanding them. Shit was real.

Tenten took a deep breath and waved her hand over the mess on her floor. A red bubble formed around it. She pinched her fingers and pulled her hands apart, like she was pulling a rope taut. The bubble shrank until it popped into nothing. Well that was weird. Tenten leaned over and ran her hand up my arm, frowning tightly at the feel of the scar under her fingertips. "Do you feel alright, Xin?"

"I feel like a chestburster just came out of my mouth," I said sourly.

"You and your references."

I smiled slowly and reached up to rub my face. "Tsubame wasn't all that helpful," I started to say, deciding to steer us out of confrontation mood. I reached up to grab Hinata, yanking her to sit down on the couch. She did so but her arms remained folded stubbornly. "I mean she was but she wasn't."

"What did she say?" Neji asked slowly, tightly coiled like he was ready for a confrontation. He was eyeing Hinata down, probably a little caught off guard that Hinata actually put him in his place for once.

"That we're morons," Hinata replied while I sat back into the couch. "And that our spiritual power is already awake and we have to call on it."

"And how are you supposed to do that?"

"How's she supposed to know? She isn't a priestess," I snorted, repeating Tsubame's words. "She told us we had to call on it and direct it. Wasn't much help but Hinata suggested that we try to meditate right before the fuckin' wolf attacked us."

Neji and Tenten exchanged a thoughtful look before they both nodded that meditating was a good start. I rolled my eyes, like we needed their permission to do so. Entitled idiots. "Would one of you give us a ride home?" Hinata asked with a tight jaw. I only stared at her, wondering if she was really that irritated. Tenten agreed to take us home, offering a slow smile. Hinata didn't seem to buy into it though, briskly keeping to herself.

The car ride home was silent as all hell.

 _End P.O.V_

* * *

Matsuri scowled harshly as she surveyed the tidy apartment. If Xin and Hinata's scents weren't all over the place, she would have thought no one lived there. Everything was just so... _clean_. She folded her arms across her chest and continued to look around. Hinata was gone for classes but Xin was actually in the bathroom, unaware of the intrusion.

If Gaara and Jura found out that she'd gone to the human's residence by herself, they'd both flip. It wasn't like she was going to hurt the little ingrate. At least not at the moment, of course not. She just wanted to speak to the cretin without either men butting into it. She didn't understand their need to keep her away from Xin. The girl wasn't a _physical_ threat to her.

Matsuri just wanted to understand.

The bathroom door swung open and heavy steam billowed out. Matsuri didn't move an inch, watching quietly as Xin emerged from the bathroom. She lazily rubbed a towel against her hair, eyes closed while she hummed a catchy tune to herself.

She wasn't anything special, Matsuri frowned. She's known demoness whose beauty was so famous that they started wars. This woman...well…she was much too small, first and foremost. She wasn't exactly thin nor was she fat. Her hips and thighs were thick in what older women would deem perfect for childbearing. Her legs and stomach were tight with muscle, which was somewhat impressive. Her ankles and wrists were thin and Matsuri marveled at how easy it would be to break them. Her breasts were surprisingly heavy but Matsuri had seen heavier. Her hair was odd for a human, resembling blue ink like the night sky. Paired with her porcelain skin, it was almost unnerving. But it was her eyes. They were too large and though they seemed mostly trusting, there was something dead in that girl's gaze.

Matsuri did not like Xin one bit.

"Oh," Xin's eyes popped open. "Matsuri, what a surprise," She greeted tonelessly, eyes searching the living room. Matsuri's eyes narrowed, she was alone. "Can I...help you?" Xin raised one brow, settling her a hand on the curve of her hip. Matsuri supposed Xin was quite pretty, for human standards, but she was nothing special. It wasn't enough to have Jura's attention. Or Gaara's attention, for that matter.

"What did you do to him?" Matsuri sneered down at the younger girl. Xin's face pinched into itself in thought before it loosened up again. Her eyebrows dropped closer to her eyes in a slight furrow and her lips pulled into a pout.

"I hit him with my car."

"What."

Xin sighed and threw the damp towel over her neck. She blinked hard and rubbed at her face. "I didn't do anything to him. He's a grown man, he does what he wants."

Matsuri moved closer, looming over her. Xin didn't have it in her to point out that she literally faced down not only Gaara, who was scary as fuck, but four other demons with every intention of killing her. Matsuri was not scary. Well, actually she did have it in her, she just didn't feel like the ensuing argument that was sure to follow. She doubted a demon would take kindly to her blasé attitude.

"You're lying and I don't take kindly to liars," She spoke calmly but Xin wasn't fooled. "He's been acting out of sorts and you seem to be a common factor."

"You _seem_ to be getting on my damn nerves," Xin replied in her same blank tone. She was growing tired of these demons trying to muscle in on her. "Let's be real, Matsuri. This isn't about his responsibilities and obligations he has back home, wherever that may be."

"Suna."

"Suna, Hell, same thing," Xin waved her interjection off. "This is about you thinking I'm going to steal him away. And I guess that's understandable seeing as how you decided to put your relationship on a break. Stupid choice, by the way."

Matsuri visibly bristled and her hands tightened into fists. Xin caught the motion and glanced around her living room. She could probably use her TV remote if things got ugly. Her eyes sought the sight of the nice vase of pretty flowers on the coffee table. If push comes to shove, she'd break that pretty vase over the demoness' head and use the shards to gouge her eyes out. Hinata really liked the vase but she would understand if Xin had to use it to defend herself against this crazy demoness.

"He's a demon. I'm a human. It's not like we would ever work so you don't have to worry about me moving in on your boyfriend. I don't know how many times I'll say I don't want anything to do with the guy."

"That's it?"

"What is?"

"The fact that you are a human and he's a demon. That's the only reason you're not interested? Then obviously you must be interested on some level."

Xin blinked at the taller demoness, frowning thoughtfully. "I'm not sure how you came to that conclusion but...no. Just no. I'm not interested in psychopaths who like to choke women out. If that's your thing, by all means.."

She was abruptly cut off when Matsuri reached forward to wrap her hand around Xin's neck. It wasn't enough to cut off her oxygen but it was enough to bruise her. "You watch your tongue, you pathetic cretin," Matsuri hissed down at her, losing her waning patience. "I will not stand here and allow you to disrespect him in any way, do you understand?"

"I see that you also have a thing for choking…"

Matsuri's fingers tightened around her neck threateningly, halting any of Xin's dry humor. "Let me go," She snapped through clenched teeth, seriously thinking of gouging the demoness' eyes out. The brunette only let out a scoff, not afraid of the human. Xin's hand suddenly shot up, open-palmed. It collided just under Matsuri's jaw, snapping her mouth shut and throwing her head back. Her hand unraveled instantly and Xin backed out of her reach.

Matsuri recovered with a vicious snarl, watching as Xin leaned over the couch. She dug into the couch cushion, producing a butcher knife. Why the woman had a knife hidden in her couch was beyond Matsuri but it was enough to make her pause. "You touch me one more time and I'll make sure you never touch another thing in your life. You demons have freaky healing powers but I doubt you can regrow a fuckin' limb. Keep your distance."

The dead look in her gaze intensified, severely unnerving Matsuri.

"Now let's get something straight," Xin began to talk, hand tight around the knife. "You're the one who worships that man, not me. Know why? Because I don't like him so I couldn't give two fucks about disrespecting him. There is nothing going on between us. The most we have is a very shaky, unstable and questionable friendship. If you want to know why he keeps coming around, you need to ask him instead of trying to threaten me."

Matsuri glared hatefully at Xin but wisely kept her distance. That girl punched her straight in the chest knowing she was a demon. She could kill her but she had a feeling the girl would not go down without a violent fight.

"I get it, you're angry. Your relationship is shit and you made the universally stupid choice to put it on a break," Xin continued to talk, ignoring Matsuri's souring temper. "That doesn't mean attack the first woman he interacts with. He's tried to kill me several times, you don't have to worry about me stealing him from you even though he's not yours."

"Excuse me?"

Xin shrugged indifferently. "Come on, everyone knows that going on a break never works. It's a last ditch effort and barely works. Ever watch _Friends_? Never really ends well. Men don't take breaks. He only agreed so you could finally figure out that you're not compatible," Xin continued to speak in her toneless voice, watching as Matsuri's face turned red before her eyes strayed to the side.

"You don't know what you're talking about! It would do you well to keep your baseless assumptions to yourself if you know what's good for you!" Matsuri thundered, shoulders shaking in sheer anger. Xin, who'd been twirling the knife leisurely and looking off to the side, paused. Under her haze of anger, Matsuri wondered how Xin managed to not cut herself.

"It's not…" She began to say only to stop. She inhaled deeply, letting out a heavy sigh. "Fine, whatever you say. Just leave me the fuck alone, alright? I have to get ready for a shift at the gym so are we done here?"

Matsuri's nose wrinkled at the mention of Xin's gym. She'd seen the girl at the gym, taking an active roll in its operation. "Boxing? How...primitive…" She looked down her nose at Xin. Seemingly used to the reaction, Xin flagged her off. Matsuri shook her head and despite Xin still having that knife, took a step closer. "Break or not, you stay mindful of what I said."

Xin rolled her eyes and hummed, not really caring for her threats. "Yeah? And you remember that I will cut your hand off."

Matsuri left with a sneer, leaving nothing behind but their threats.

* * *

Xin watched as Neji ambled into the bakery, frowning with a tilted head. Neji usually didn't come to the bakery without anyone dragging him there. Deciding that it was time for a break, she grabbed one of the serving trays. She set the tray down loudly against the table before plopping in the seat across from him. Neji quietly looked down, studying the tray of coffee cakes and coffee. His eyes slowly ascended, gaze sweeping over her face. There was a slight discoloration at her jaw, most likely from her shift at Primary Lotus. She looked a little banged up but she seemed pleased.

It was a stark contrast to the girl she used to be. Angry, annoyed and difficult. Living under her parents had made Xin into a spoiled but annoyed woman. All she wanted was to live her life and make her own choices. Xin was rebellious, always had been. While he, Hanabi and Hinata were comfortable with being directed in life, Xin was sick of it. And while their family might frown upon her choices of work, there was no denying that she quite satisfied with her independence.

"I'm sorry for the way I've acted lately," He all but blurted as she pushed the cup of coffee towards him. Xin's face broke into confusion but she didn't say anything. "This...the world Tenten and I are involved in…it's not safe," He spoke quietly, hands sliding around the cup of coffee. "I want to keep you and Hinata safe."

Xin didn't immediately reply, opting to quietly stare at him. "Demons are dangerous," He said in a low mutter, eyes looking towards her arm. Her long sleeve covered her arm but the scar was there. "But Naruto and Gaara...they're more than dangerous than the average demon."

"What makes them more dangerous?" Xin asked instead of fighting with his statement. "You guys don't explain things, you just say something and expect us to accept it. Not that I'm defending either of them but..why are they any different from a demon who wants to kill me?"

"Because they aren't mindless and don't need to devour you in order to gain power," Neji replied, deciding that he would answer her questions if he could. She had a point. They barely explained anything to the twins lately. They just ordered them around with barely any explanation. "Gaara and Naruto are the type to start and end wars. No matter how laid back Gaara seems or how goofy Naruto is, a demon is a demon."

Xin sat back in her chair, hands cradling her cup of coffee. She knew Gaara was dangerous from her own experience and she figured Naruto was dangerous as well since he was also a demon. But...she never thought of _how_ dangerous they were. "How do you know that?" She asked slowly, frowning.

"They aren't the only demons we've befriended from the Demon Realm. They're far older than us and they've experienced different things. Killing is nothing to them, it's a normal occurrence for the both of them. Gaara more so than Naruto but even so….they have a dark past and I don't want either of them near you and Hinata. Nothing good will come from it."

She wanted to argue his point. Gaara was an asshole and he might have tried to strangle her but he did save and protect her, along with Naruto. They came to her bakery and walked her and her sister home. They couldn't be all bad, could they?

"The portals that keep opening all over the city, that's not normal," Xin said instead of further questioning him about Gaara and Naruto. Neji had his opinions formed on the two. If Xin wanted to know more about the two demons, she'd have to ask them herself. Whether or not they answered her inquiries was an entirely different story.

"No," Neji reached towards the coffee cake. He didn't often bother with sweets but he liked coffee cakes, at least. "Demons are not really allowed to cross over to our world, since they tend to kill humans. They can with permission with the head of their villages and cities but from what I understand from Gaara and Naruto, these demons are acting on their own in order to massacre the humans."

"Do you think the portals are being opened up by one person alone?"

"Perhaps….it's hard to tell at this point. Portals are hard to track where they came and we usually arrive when the portal closes," Neji mumbled after swallowing a mouthful of the coffee cake.

"Do you think the portals have anything to do with...us?" Xin asked carefully. Neji tilted his head to the side. "All of this weird shit started to happen the more Hinata and I became aware of being miko and a lot of demons are hunting us down to eat us, right? Do you think that maybe….it could be Masuyo and Kuraim?"

Neji looked thoughtful, thinking her words over. It was a good point but he saw the flaws in her reasoning. "Kuraim probably wants to kill you himself so I doubt he'd open portals up with the intention of letting another demon kill you."

"What about Masuyo?"

"It's a strong possibility. She's a mystic so she certainly has the means to open portals. I could ask Karin and Sui about it and talk it over with Tenten. There's flaws in the idea but it shouldn't be ruled completely out."

Xin felt a little proud of her thoughts but understood that she could be wrong. "Do you think Kuraim will find us?"

"I…." Neji trailed off, looking away. A dark look shadowed his calm eyes, causing Xin's stomach to sink uncomfortably. "I do. I think he's getting closer to finding the both of you but it doesn't matter. We're going to make sure we finish what Jun and Junko started. We'll do what they couldn't do and kill the bastard."

Xin smiled very slowly.

* * *

Gaara swung the front door open, frowning as he did so. That girl ranted and raved about him constantly 'breaking in' when she was too stupid to even lock her door. Anyone could fuckin' walk right into her apartment but she always whined at him for using a portal to gain entrance. And just what the fuck was he doing here anyway? He remembered telling himself that he was done with Hyuga Xin. There was nothing to tie the the girl to him anymore and yet, here he was, striding into her home as if they'd been friends for years.

It was mostly Matsuri's fault. She had casually made a passing comment about Xin smelling of demonic poison. And though he tried to ignore the tidbit of information, he found himself wondering what the idiotic girl had gotten herself into _this_ time. He decided that he should at least check on her to make sure she wasn't completely dead. He owed her that much for somewhat having a hand in throwing her life out of whack.

She was in the living room with a bucket of water and a mop. Gaara found himself wondering if the girl had any other hobbies besides cleaning, baking and hitting people. She stood, slightly distracted with something on her phone while clutching the mop with her other hand. She hadn't taken notice of him. "At least lock your front door, idiot," He sneered at her, finally alerting her to his presence. Xin snapped her head up, not expecting to see him there, and threw her phone straight at his face. Luckily he caught the airborne device, snatching it easily out of the air before it could smack into his face.

"Fuck," She cursed loudly, holding her hand to her chest. "Put a goddamn bell around your neck if you're going to sneak up on people! What's the matter with you?" She fumed with a red face. "And what'd I say about breaking in here with those freaky portals of yours?"

Gaara casually tossed her phone in the air, catching it with an air of indifference. "I didn't use a portal. I used the front door, why don't you lock your door?" Gaara asked in a calm manner. Now that he was in her vicinity, he could smell the lingering smell of poison wafting from her. "Clearly anyone could come in here. You're just asking to be killed."

"Yeah? Well, what do you care?" Xin huffed, folding her hands over the top of the mop. "I'm used to leaving the door unlocked for Karin, Sui and Tenten. Old habits die hard," She shrugged with the same air of indifference that he maintained.

"Old habits will get you killed."

"Why, Gaara, it sounds like you _do_ care. Imagine that," Xin's grin was languid as she leaned forward on the mop. "Did you come to lecture me about the dangers of your world and my unlocked door or is there another reason? Don't tell me you actually enjoy hanging around me. Naruto, I could believe but you? Ha."

A smirk pulled at his lips. "Don't be ridiculous," He replied simply, ignoring Xin's quirked eyebrow. "Matsuri made a passing comment and I simply came to make sure she didn't kill you as well," He told her, not wanting to tell her he was really there to see why she smelled of demonic poison.

"Did she tell you I threatened to chop her hand off?"

"Yes, she mentioned that. She didn't seem happy about it."

"She threatened me first. Convincing her that there's nothing going on between us is difficult when you keep popping up here every time I turn around," Xin reminded him with a sniff before straightening up again. She plunged the mop into the soapy water. "Now sit down at the table and don't dirty my floor."

"What I do with my time is none of her concern," Gaara spat vehemently. He turned towards to the dining room table and sat down. It surprised her that he easily did as she told him to do. She didn't comment, knowing he'd say something snarky in return. The demon placed her phone on the table, ignoring her look of annoyance as he did so.

"Yeah, sure, too bad you won't explain that you don't want a relationship with her anymore and that's why what you do with your time has nothing to do with her. You're stringing her along," Xin hummed absently as she began mopping the floor. She mopped so much, her friends often joked that she would wear the floor away.

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her and finally noticed the long jagged scar running the length of her forearm. That, he noted, hadn't been there the last time he saw her. He scented the air and pinpointed the lingering smell of poison coming from the scar. "What happened to your arm?"

Xin paused for a second to look down at her arm. It was almost like she'd forgotten about it. "Oh," Xin puckered her lips. "A wolf demon took a swipe at my sister so I pushed her out of the way and took the hit instead," She explained shortly with a shrug. Gaara frowned, eyeing the scar with a thoughtful look. "Do you have any siblings?" Xin suddenly prompted, eyes trained on the floor.

"Yes. A sister and a brother. They're both older."

"Ah, so you're the baby then. Are you spoiled? My little sister is spoiled but I think that's more so because she's more well-behaved than I was at her age," Xin had a fond look on her face. "She's sixteen. Are your siblings much older than you?"

"No, my sister is two years older than me and my brother is one year older," Gaara replied, watching as she circled the entire living room. "Where's your sister?" He asked as she steadily made her way back towards him.

"She went to my aunt's house with Neji. I think he said they're going to dig through the archives my Uncle had before he passed. They think they might find something to help us with our spiritual energy," Xin explained offhandedly. "I need to sweep in the kitchen again," She muttered more to herself than to him.

"Do you have an obsession with cleaning?"

Xin looked at him, studying his face. It almost seemed like she was waiting for him to start teasing her about her need to constantly clean. "Yeah, I tested positive for OCD when I was younger. I have this...need for cleanliness…." She hunched her shoulders, ready for some sort of insult. She obviously couldn't control her need to clean and was often made fun of while growing up.

Gaara nodded, eyes scanning the freakishly clean living room. The floors were practically shining. "Rasa would love to have you clean his rooms, even if you are a human. You do a better job than his demons underlings."

"Rasa….Matsuri mentioned him when you were all at the bakery. Is that like….your boss or something?"

"No, he's my Father."

"Oh...you didn't sound too fond of him."

"Because I'm not."

He shot her a meaningful look. "I see…." She trailed off, knowing it wasn't a good idea to ask him anything else about Rasa. "Tell me about your home. It's called Suna, right?" She decided to move onto a different, less sensitive topic. "What's it like?"

"There's sand everywhere," Gaara replied dryly.

"Like a desert?"

"Yes."

"Like...the Sahara desert? Just sand and shit?"

Gaara snorted and pressed his hand to his face in an attempt to stave off his laughter. The fact he was even enjoying her company was mind-boggling. He'd only come to see why she smelled of demonic poison. She explained nearly five minutes ago and yet he was still here, answering her fleeting questions. She was smart enough to leave the subject of Rasa alone, which surprised him. She seemed like the type to ask your deepest, darkest secret with a straight face.

"Yes, actually. The city settled in a desert oasis."

Xin made an interested humming noise. "I was born and raised in Tokyo," She shrugged indifferently. "Seems boring next to you being raised in a desert oasis though. How did you meet Naruto?"

"I tried to kill him."

"...was there like a special reason for that...or?"

"Our countries waged war against each other a very long time ago."

"What country are you from?"

"Wind."

Xin stopped, lips pursed in thought. "Sounds like you've lived a pretty interesting life," She commented while studying her floors. She had an itching need to make another round but squeezed her hands around the mop handle.

"And yet I've never met a woman quite like you."

Gaara didn't look away when she turned to stare at him. She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not but it sounded odd coming out of his mouth. She didn't understand the demon at this point. She usually wasn't one to hesitate on being upfront but for some reason, she found herself quite nervous about his answer to her next question.

"Gaara..why do you keep coming back? You have the information you wanted about me. You don't have any obligations to me. Convincing Matsuri that you aren't interested in me is difficult when you keep coming back like this," She mad it a point to look away. Gaara continued to stare up at her, an unreadable look on his face. He watched as she fiddled with her mop. She seemed even smaller than usual, hunching in on herself self-consciously. He doubted her defensive stance was from being self-conscious, she was probably just waiting to argue with him. "I mean I know you aren't interested _romantically._ You're too much of a psycho but you keep coming back. Why?" Xin pressed on. He almost bristled from her psycho comment but once more found himself snorting at her utter lack of respect.

Women like her, tiny little things, were supposed to fear him. They were supposed to obey him. They didn't get away with speaking out of turn to him. They didn't survive being strangled by him. They didn't question him and stick their nose into his business.

He should have just killed her. Miko or not, she wouldn't survive having her heart ripped out. In fact, he still _could_ kill her. There was no Karin or Neji around to stop him. He could kill her and be rid of her entirely. There wasn't a damn thing stopping him from reaching over and plunging his hand into her chest, nothing to stop him from tearing out her heart and dropping it to the floor.

He'd be rid of Hyuga Xin.

A loud vibration from his pocket distracted the two of them. Xin looked completely surprised to see him pull a cellphone out of his pocket. He stared down at the flashing screen, silently reading the incoming text message from Naruto.

' _Multiple portals opening downtown. Get your ass in gear.'_

"You have a _cellphone_?" Xin asked with a voice of disbelief. She watched with wide eyes as he easily tapped away the phone before moving closer to stand over him. The last thing she was expecting was him knowing how to use a phone. Karin and Suigetsu had cell phones but they live in the human world. Gaara lived in a fuckin' desert his entire life, what the hell did he know about phones?

He glanced up at her, head tilted to the side. "Obviously," He snorted and climbed to his feet, towering over her smaller form. "Just because we are demons do not mean we are ignorant to technology. You think humans are any smarter than demons?"

"I don't know, you're the ones mindlessly killing humans and eating them. That doesn't sound like such a smart thing to do."

"Humans sometimes eat one another. Cannibals."

"You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

Gaara didn't answer, deciding to slide his phone back into his pocket. He turned for the front hall with a tight frown. Her latest question hung over them but Xin seemingly forgot all about it, still marveling over his knowledge of technology. "It's time for me to leave," He announced, although he wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to do so.

She didn't really seem to care, waving fleetingly as she muttered to herself about demons and technology. He left the way he came, making sure to twist the lock on the doorknob, at least. Stupid woman was going to get herself killed. As he closed the door, he heard an angered shriek from the living room. "Motherfucker didn't take off his shoes! I _just_ mopped, goddammit!"

Her question of why he insisted on coming back was left unanswered.

For the both of them.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Xin asked for none of this lol.

Akari: Listen, I said I have a height kink, don't judge me! I'm actually pretty sure so that's probably why. I dig tall people. I have a like/hate relationship with Matsuri. Like she bugs me but only because I love Xin. I wasn't all the fond of her in the anime though so there's that. Poor girl doesn't deserve my abuse but Imma abuse her anyway. It is funny that Jun is so trusting but Xin is paranoid as all hell. They're opposites in some ways lol. Hinata is a sweet character but I like to think she grows a little more confident in herself as she gets older so that's why she seems more confident, I guess. I hope she isn't OOC.

BloodyCamellia: Well who doesn't loooove reviews? I sure do! But even if this fic only has a few reviews, it's still enough :) I'm glad you like Xin, whether it's this version or SOC's version. I think she's funnier in this fic though. The two are pretty hostile when they first meet, I just think it's funnier that way. I kind of dig couples that hate each other at first but are lowkey attracted to one another. Now we just gotta see who cracks first. I am leaning towards M-rating, seems like mostly everyone would prefer it.

marinaa07: Matsuri is just so in love, she's willing to be led on, that's her problem. I love Jura too, he's such a sweetheart although I'm starting to think he's a masochist for being attracted to a woman who has no problem punching him in the face. Maybe that's his kink lol. Xin might be a human but she isn't a pushover, she has no problem throwing a punch. That's probably gonna get her ass into some deep shit though. her and Gaara bickering is one of my favorite things to write. They're hilarious together.

DemonoftheNight3: Thank you dear, I can see that too! Especially Xin. She just haaaates being compared to Jun. I think a human/demon relationship is pretty interesting too. Even more so since the human in a priestess. I blame that on watching InuYasha while growing up. The anime has some influence on the story.

moonlight46: I love her sassyness too, it's so fun to write! She's so fed up and that's making her even more sassier. Everyone seems so concerned about Neji...lol.

So I'm leaning towards changing the rating to M. Mostly for violence and gore but maybe a lemon splashed here or there. I have to psych myself up to write those, man, the whole time I was writing the lemon for chapter 29 of SOC, I was giggling like an idiot. We'll see, maybe, if yall really want it. But M-rating for violence and gore for sure. Thank you for your support and I'll see you next update.


	11. Wait, the worst is yet to come

_Xin felt like she was stuck in one of those freaky dreams again. Like the one she had of Kuraim. She felt like she was physically present. Only this time, she stood in the middle of a very old village. A village with huts instead of houses, beaten dirt roads instead of paved streets, and villagers dressed in kimono._ _She did a full circle but no one seemed to take notice of the modern girl standing in the middle of their village._

" _I expected you to be much taller."_

 _Xin jerked around at the sound of a voice addressing her. She was only somewhat surprised to come face to face with Jun. The long dead woman stood before her dressed in her white and red robes, armed with her bow and arrow and twirling her_ _bō_ _leisurely. She blinked at the sight of her, shifting her weight between her feet._ " _You can see me?"_

" _I'm speaking to you, am I not?" Jun retorted with a spark of amusement in her eye. "Come, young one, we've much to discuss," Jun motioned for Xin to follow her towards a bench. At this point, Xin wasn't sure if she was dreaming or hallucinating but she followed after the woman anyway. "Sit, sit, daughter," Jun patted the bench, ignoring Xin's frown of confusion. The younger woman did as she told though, remembering that Jun was quite a force of nature._

" _You and your sister are wasting time. Kuraim and Masuyo grow stronger each day and you still know nothing and depend on your friends for protection," Jun said when Xin finally settled next to her. The younger woman instantly bristled at Jun's words._

" _He killed you and your sister, didn't he?"_

 _Jun looked disgruntled, having never dealt with a woman quite like Xin before her death. Jun had a short fuse but even she chose her words carefully. Xin was like a rampaging bull, bulldozing through anything that stood in her path._ " _That, he did. He will kill you and your sister as well. You're wasting your time."_

" _Yeah, no, I got that. But you're not helping much. We weren't raised to be miko. We weren't raised to fight demons so at least be helpful. This is your mess, after all."_

" _My mess?"_

" _You're the one who trusted that demon."_

" _Do you or do you not fraternize with a demon of questionable background?"_

" _That's different."_

" _How so?"_

" _I…" Xin paused, frowning hard. "Well...Gaara hasn't led me into a false sense of security. And I don't fraternize with him. I barely even like him enough. I know he'd hurt me if he felt the need to. I don't trust him."_

 _Jun took in her descendant's words before nodding slowly, ebony locks falling over her shoulders as she did so. She was quite beautiful, elegantly so, Xin mused. It didn't surprise her that Kuraim fell for the miko. He must have fallen easily for the miko and yet..easily tore her and everything she loved to the ground._

" _And you are right not to trust him. I should have listened closer to my sister's fears. But that doesn't matter for we are both dead and Kuraim is not. My power is not what it used to be and I cannot constantly come to your aide_ —"

" _So that was you."_

 _Jun nodded firmly. "You are my descendant, my ancestral daughter and Kuraim running rampant is no one's fault but my own. I want you to live, as I could not. But the only way to do so is to finish what Jun and I could not. You must call upon the power writhing under you before it's too late," Jun stated in a firm and grim tone._ _Jun raised a hand, wide sleeves falling away to reveal a slender forearm. She waved her hand and the village around them wavered. Suddenly the air felt heavy and reeked of death. The peaceful villagers were no more, instead bodies littered the dirt paths. Some torn to shreds while others lay headless. Screams of agony filled the air, loud sobbing accompanied._

 _Wild demons roamed the roads, roaring with laughter as they dragged hidden villagers from their huts. Men, women and children, no one was spared. They raped, tortured and slaughtered them all._ _Jun also shuttered, robes becoming ripped and stained with dirt. Her hair became disheveled and a chunk was missing, creating an uneven choppy hairstyle. A large gash appeared where her shoulder_ _should_ _have been. Blood spilled from it, soaking the white material of her robe._

" _This will be your fate if you continue to procrastinate, daughter of mine. Kuraim is a ruthless, terrible being. Even for a demon. Even worse when he allows that mystic of his into his head. Take heed of her, especially. Kuraim is ruthless but only because of her."_

 _Xin's eyes widened but she slowly nodded. She'd have to remember to tell her friends to be on the lookout for Masuyo. "You have to tell me how to do this, Jun."_

 _Jun leaned over, pressing a bloodstained finger to Xin's chest. "You feel it, don't you? It burns when it's needed, you've just never taken a hold of it. It's heavy when it's not needed. Focus on it and manipulate it as you see fit. Guide it to your hand. Let the power_ _ **out**_ _."_

Xin's eyes snapped open, letting out a squawk when she rolled out of bed. She heard distant laughter and first assumed it was Hinata. But the laughter was different from her sister's. Older, wiser and more elegant. "Fuck off, Jun," She snapped as the laughter gradually faded. She freed herself from her tangled blankets and managed to stumble towards her door.

Hinata was at the kitchen table, armed with a steaming cup and musty papers spread across the table. She glanced up at her sister, eyebrow quirked. "Another dream?" She asked plainly.

"Something like that," Xin rubbed at her messy head. "I'll explain after a shower," She turned towards the bathroom, silently thinking of a woman long dead. When she returned from the bathroom, she was more awake and fresh-faced. "So, what's all this bullshit?" Xin asked while sitting at the kitchen table with her own mug.

Hinata leveled her with a pointed look but didn't bother scolding her sister for her foul language. "This is a bit of a family history that Neji and I found when we visited Aunt Shiori. She says hello by the way," Hinata explained as Xin reached for her notebook she'd been taking notes down in. It was full of Hinata's neat handwriting, causing Xin to smile fondly at the memory of their lessons when they were younger.

"Did it tell you anything?" Xin asked in an almost distracted tone as she turned to a fresh page. She began quick strokes across the paper, concentrating on the task. "Gaara popped up yesterday. He has a cellphone, it was weird. I mean, he lives in a desert, for Christ's sake. Do they even get reception there?"

Hinata paused and looked thoughtful towards her tea. Gaara and Xin's relationship, whatever it may be, did not sit well with her. Their tempers clashed and it was quite obvious that neither had a problem with being violent towards the other. Xin didn't really seem to care but Neji had shared some of his concerns with her yesterday and he had valid points.

After spending twenty-something years with her, Neji and Hinata knew how to handle the wayward Hyuga daughter. They knew how to deal with her sudden mood shifts, short temper and odd mannerisms. Karin, Suigetsu and Tenten mostly know how to deal with her but even they couldn't handle Xin quite like the Hyuga family could. And now a violent demon with no qualms of killing anything that breathed wrong was instigating a shaky relationship with the temperamental daughter of the Hyuga. It obviously made Hinata quite uncomfortable. Even more when Neji explained a bit of Gaara's warmongering ways in the Demon Realm.

"Nothing really about how to control our energy but it does detail a bit of Jun and Junko's lives before they were killed. They had four younger siblings that survived—"

"Well the Hyuga had to live on some way, yeah?"

"—and they began their lessons to be priestesses when they were young, nine years old. Their instructor was the previous miko, a woman named Katsumi. She was killed in Kuraim's attack on the village as well."

Xin frowned sadly, remembering all the carnage Jun showed her. That could be their future if they didn't stop Kuraim and Masuyo. "Dude sounds like a real asshole," Xin commented in a distracted tone, still quite focused on the notebook.

"Yes, the worst," Hinata agreed shortly. "What are you doing?" She asked, finally realizing that Xin had been drawing something this entire time. She leaned over, twisting and craning her neck in trying to get a better look of Xin's drawing. Xin continued with her drawing until she was satisfied, flipping the notebook around to show Hinata her drawing.

"That," She pointed almost dramatically, ignoring Hinata's amused smile. "Is Jun when she died," She explained simply. Hinata studied the picture of an ancestor only Xin seen. The woman was beautiful in an elegant but sad way. Her face was smudged with Hinata assumed was supposed to be dirt and blood. Her robes were torn and shredded and her hair was too short on one side. What stood out the most, however, was the fact that her shoulder was practically missing, leaving behind a bloody chest.

"Is that what you were dreaming about? Her death?"

"I'm not sure if it could be considered a dream. Jun showed me what happened to her village. It was terrible, Hinata. There was death everywhere...no one was spared. Not even Jun and Kuraim was supposed to be in love with her. She wants us to stop wasting time. Kuraim is getting closer and we...we haven't learned anything," Xin explained, adopting Jun's somber tone. Hinata quietly looked down at picture and slowly nodded along to Xin's words. "Do you ever feel like there's something heavy in your chest? And sometimes it can burn?" Xin continued, voice dropping to almost a whisper. For a moment, Hinata didn't do anything and Xin feared Hinata that Junko's power hadn't been passed to her sister.

"I have. Neji described his energy as feeling the same. He said it didn't really burn though. I'm guessing that's the purity," Hinata explained shortly. Xin's sour look brightened considerably. It would have been so much harder if Hinata hadn't felt any of Junko's power.

"She said we had to guide the power to our hands and let it out. Why don't we try that? Just concentrate on the heavy feeling and try to coerce it out..?"

Hinata pushed her hot cup of coffee away and placed her hands on top of the table. Xin mimicked her motions, settling her hands on the table, facing outward. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Concentrating and meditating was quite easy if she likened it to the breathing exercises Gai taught her when she first started boxing. It helped her, especially with her very short temper.

She found the heaviness nestled deep within her rib-cage, small and docile as it was unneeded at the moment. It glowed an eerie purple and burned when she cupped the power between her hands. The burn didn't harm her at all, it almost felt comforting. Like sliding an old forgotten, but favored, jacket back on. Xin's eyes popped open and her mouth fell open as well. Nestled in her hands, flickering and somewhat weak, was a ball of purple energy. Her energy. Pure energy that filled the room with the scent of snow and moon dust.

She looked up, hoping she wouldn't lose her concentration and nearly cheered at the sight of Hinata mirroring the progress. Her ball of energy was much bigger than Xin's energy, teeming to nearly her her fingertips. It looked more controlled and didn't glow eerily like Xin's energy did. It more so... _shined_ and was a light lavender, almost pink, color instead of Xin's deep purple.

Hinata's eyes finally opened and she smiled at the sight that she was greeted with. "Xin," She whispered, as if she was afraid that any loud noise would disrupt the energy. "Look, _look,_ we did it!" She exclaimed just as her energy flickered out. She didn't seem to mind though, smiling so wide it might have hurt her face. She reached across the table to grab Xin's hands, disrupting Xin's concentration.

The energy sizzled out but Xin didn't care. The sisters wrapped their hands up, grinning and squealing all the while. For a moment, they both felt like children again, succeeding in a problematic task.

"Next time Gaara tries to choke me out, I'm straight up purifying his ass."

" _Xin."_

* * *

Hinata was only partially surprised when Naruto ambled into _Mad Batter_ some afternoons later. Neji warned her that she'd probably see more and more of Naruto and Gaara around as they helped in controlling the sudden outbreak.

And really, he couldn't be all that bad if he was helping control the problem, could he? He seemed like such a nice person but Neji was firm in his words and insisted that Hinata be more on guard. They already had to worry over Xin's safety. But even so...Naruto seemed awfully nice. But then again, so did Xin until she opened her mouth to spew out explicit yet creative words. Hinata was, by nature, a kind person. Naruto had yet to give her a reason to be afraid of him. He'd been nothing but nice since they met. She kept Neji's warnings in mind but decided she'd let Naruto determine her actions towards him.

"Hinata!" He chimed excitedly, blue eyes sparkling as he nearly laid across the counter. His eyes darted down to the display of desserts, missing Hinata's amused expression. "How's work, Moon Pie?"

She started at the nickname but Naruto didn't even seem like he realized he said anything at all. "Work is fine, it's a bit slow today," She replied instead of fussing over a simple nickname. "My shift is over in about three minutes."

"Great! You can join me for lunch then," Naruto grinned with teeth, showing off freakishly sharp canines. Hinata smiled nervously at the sight of such a frightening but cute smile, all she could do was nod in agreement. Seemingly pleased, Naruto stood off to the side to wait for Hinata to clock out for the day. Anko raised her eyebrows at the sight of the Hyuga leaving with an unknown man but didn't stop them from leaving. What went on in Hinata's personal life was not her business but she decided to shoot Xin a quick text, just in case.

"Would you like to go to _Dragon's Way_?" Naruto asked as they blended into the afternoon's crowd. He knew the human was somewhat wary of him, not that he blamed her, and figured she would feel better in an area she was familiar with.

"Sure," She readily agreed. She'd be safer under Xiourong's watchful eye and if anything went wrong, she'd protect her until Tenten or someone else came to her aide. But then again...there was the option of purifying him if it came down to that. She doubted she was strong enough to kill him but it would buy her some time.

Oh but she would hate to do that to him…

Naruto ambled pretty close to her, she wasn't sure if it was because of the crowd or if there were demons nearby but it didn't exactly unnerve like it should have. People parted for them, which Hinata greatly enjoyed. She supposed that had to do with his intimidating height. They were seated almost immediately by a smiling Xiurong upon arriving at _Dragon's Way_. There was some confusion in her older eyes but she decided to let it be. Naruto wasn't bad company to have, he was quite pleasant so she didn't worry that he'd force his company onto Hinata.

"So, Moon Pie—"

"Moon Pie?"

"Yeah, you know, cause you smell like moon dust and you're sweet like a pie. So, moon pie. Does it bother you?"

"Well...no.." Hinata trailed off, stirring her ice tea with her straw. It really didn't bother her. It was actually quite nice. People usually tended to give her nicknames that she could share with Xin. It was nice to have something that her sister didn't share with her.

"So, Moon Pie, how old are you?"

Hinata blinked at his question, wondering what the point was. If she were Xin, she'd say exactly that. But luckily, she had a bit more sense than her sister and only smiled at Naruto. "I'm twenty-one, twenty-two in December."

"God, you're just a _baby_."

Hinata frowned, slightly insulted, "well how old are you?"

Naruto looked up in thought. "Physically, I'd say about twenty-six or twenty-seven. But in actuality…" He trailed off before his gaze found her again. "Couple hundred years. Give or take," Naruto shrugged rather leisurely, nearly snickering at the surprised look she gave him. He asked her a series of questions and Hinata answered them all, finding it quite odd but not unwanted. As twin sisters, others often lumped her and Xin together as a whole, as if they were one person. And not that her sister was terrible or anything but the two of them had completely different personalities, likes, dislikes and interests.

"As nice as this is.." Hinata trailed off after telling him a bit about her college classes. "I have to wonder why you decided to take me out for lunch," She stated, cringing at how rude she sounded. "Not that I'm not enjoying myself, I am…"

Naruto didn't seem offended at all. In fact, he grinned at her. "You seem like a nice girl, Moon Pie, way too nice for the shit that's bound to go down," He began to talk, idly pushing his food around on his plate. "But I have a feeling you and your... _lovely_ sister will be seeing more and more of us, even if Neji and Rin' aren't too keen to the idea. Not that I even blame them, Gaara and I are a special kind of trouble."

Hinata let those words sink in, rolling them around in her head. Neji mentioned that Gaara and Naruto were more dangerous than the average demon. The type to start and finish war. Demonic wars. Naruto barely even seemed like a demon, he was just so nice and optimistic and bright. It was hard to believe he was a demon.

"You know you're nothing like Junko," Naruto said practically out of nowhere. "I mean, you have some similar traits and shit but barely. She was the more polite sister, if I'm remembering correctly," Naruto rubbed at his chin, eyes squinting in thought. Hinata slowly smiled, interest piqued. Karin and Suigetsu didn't often talk about what the sisters were like. The miko twins seemed like a sore topic for the two so Hinata didn't bother asking about them.

"Really? You knew Jun and Junko?"

Naruto shrugged a shoulder. "I wasn't friends with them but Rin' hung around them enough. They weren't too fond of me, understandable since I was a warmonger back then. Peaceful miko and warmongering demons don't exactly mix, feel me?" He shrugged, seemingly not bothered by admitting of his dark past. "Jun was a violent miko but Junko was a fuckin' nutcase with her damn arrows," Naruto pulled at the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a nicely toned bicep.

Hinata wondered where that random thought came from.

Tarnishing the nicely toned bicep was a twisted scar of flesh. "The first time I met those psychos, Junko shot me with me an arrow and Jun cracked me over the head with that damn stick of hers while I was writhing in agony on the ground."

"Junko shot you and you didn't die?" Hinata asked, studying the distorted flesh.

"Nope," Naruto dropped his sleeve, hiding away his nicely toned bicep. She really needed to stop zeroing in on that. He didn't show her so she could ogle him like a piece of meat. "I don't know why but it just left this ugly ass scar. Your sister left one on Gaara when she stabbed him with that knife. That should have told me right there that she was a priestess. Just our luck that you're both descendants of those nutcases."

"They weren't nutcases. You're a demon, they were miko. They were just doing that jobs by protecting their village," Hinata felt the need to defend her ancestors. Maybe if they double-teamed Kuraim and Masuyo like they had done to Naruto, Hinata and Xin wouldn't be in their mess some five hundred years later.

Naruto held up his hands, as if to surrender. "I see you share a sharp tongue with that sister of yours," He said with some mirth in those blue eyes. Hinata flushed, shockingly not so annoyed. "Is that like a running theme with you Hyuga? Sharp tongues and cold gazes? You people have got to be the scariest humans I have ever met in my life."

"We are not scary."

"Oh, really? You got Jun and Junko, willing to team up and beat the crap out of my unsuspecting ass, you got your sister ready and willing to stab a demon with a knife as her only line of defense and then there's Neji, an even bigger psychopath ready to stab a motherfucker with his energy. Ever been stabbed with energy, Moon Pie? It hurts. Not as much as being shot with a pure arrow but it's up there."

"Sounds terrible," Hinata chuckled, balancing her chin in the palm of her hand. "How could I ever rectify my family's slights against you?"

"Well, joining me for lunch is a start."

She couldn't possibly help the blush that smarted at her face but hell if she didn't try. A shy smile pulled at her lips and her eyes found her plate of food freakishly interesting. Naruto grinned at her shy nature and leaned back into his chair, clearly happy with himself. He meant it when he said he had a feeling they'd be seeing each other often. Unlike Gaara, who seemed to have some sort of violent fascination with Xin that he wasn't willing to admit to, Naruto was quite interested in Hinata. She seemed like such a nice, but quiet, young woman often overlooked because of her more rowdier sister. Despite that, Hinata didn't seem to hold that against Xin. In fact, they seemed to get along quite well despite Xin always having the attention on her.

It was weird but he wanted to know this woman. He wanted to know how far her kindness went and if she would ever crack under pressure. He wondered if she would pick up a knife like her loony ass sister if she was pushed far enough.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse that such a demon found interest in her, Hinata would never know.

* * *

A tall woman paced back and forth in the middle of a dark forest. Her thick silver hair spilled wildly over her shoulders and down her face, glinting as the sun reflected off of the silken strands. Her dark eyes shuttered angrily as she bit her bottom lip in agitation. With each passing day, the seal was growing weaker and weaker. Soon enough, Kuraim would be free from his prison. And yet, those damn twins were still alive.

She couldn't understand how those damned twins managed to stay alive. She'd gone through the trouble of opening portals right in front of them, unleashing rampaging demons on them and they still weren't dead. If Kuraim got loose and those two were still alive, she had no doubt he would devout his every waking moment hunting them down.

Well, she wouldn't have it! She had done nothing but stand by and watch as he agonized over that damn miko. And then for five hundred years, she worked tirelessly to break the seal imprisoning him. If those reincarnated miko weren't dead by the time he was fully released, he'd obsess over them just as he'd done five hundred years ago.

Something in her bag shuddered, causing the woman to stop short. Reaching into the bag, she carefully removed a handless mirror. It was made of black lacquer with odd symbols carved into the edges of it. It shuddered even harder until a scarred face appeared in the reflection. "Masuyo, my dear," Kuraim grinned at her, skin pulling taunt against his skull. "It's been quite some time since we last spoke. You aren't avoiding me, are you?"

Masuyo smiled, dark eyes sparkling against the backdrop of the forest. "Don't be silly, Kuraim. Why on earth would I even forget about you? After all of this time?"

"It has been quite some time, hasn't it?" Kuraim chuckled. "How are my miko? Have you been treating them kindly?"

Masuyo's smile instantly dropped at the mere mention of those damned miko twins. "I haven't the chance to meet with them. But Kuraim, darling, you do understand that these girls are not Jun and Junko, yes?"

"Haven't met with them yet?" Kuraim's wide shoulders sagged. "Well, that simply won't do. You have to meet with them and let them know I haven't forgotten about them," Kuraim insisted while shaking his head. "They have their souls, Masuyo. They _are_ Jun and Junko. I don't care about the _shells_ that's housing them at the moment."

Masuyo frowned tightly before slowly nodding. "Of course, Kuraim. I'll...find the miko immediately…" She promised in a tight voice, mood dampened by his obsession with those girls. It just wasn't fair. He'd been so in love with Jun and she rejected him without a thought and yet she was all he could think of. Even though Jun attacked him along with her sister with the intention of killing him. She disfigured him and if that wasn't enough, sealed him away with the help of her sister. So why in the seven hells did he insist on reuniting with them? They weren't even the same women he knew all those years ago.

The mirror shuddered and the image of Kuraim's face shimmered away. Masuyo closed her eyes and concentrated, muttering a quiet garble of dark words. The mirror in her hands shook for a fourth time before a murky image appeared. Xin's grinning face along with Hinata's more demure smile stared back at her, silently mocking her. She was going to kill those twins! She was going to make sure they perished and that whatever semblance of Jun and Junko's souls that remained would be permanently extinguished. She would not go through this heartache once more because of two human _girls_!

Xin's grin suddenly dropped only to be replaced with a look of mixed amusement and confusion. There was suddenly two more figures sharing the mirror with the two girls. Masuyo frowned slightly and squinted, trying hard to make out the new figures. A tall redhead along with an equally tall blond appeared with the girls. Masuyo watched in odd fascination as their accompanying auras seemed to mix and mingle with the aura from the twins.

Well.

That was an unforeseen development.

"I..I _know_ those boys…" She muttered as the fog seemingly cleared up enough for her to put names to the demons. "Is that..is that Rasa and Minato's boys?" She asked herself incredulously. Her heart sank to her stomach. Oh, that was not good.

Not good at all.

* * *

"I think you might be overthinking this," Xin intoned blandly as she ambled next to Tenten one sunny afternoon. "You don't have to look for an apartment so close to ours, you know that, right?" She asked while keeping a firm grasp around Tenten's arm. The crowd was beginning to thicken out and she didn't feel like getting separated from the leggy brunette. "Why can't you just move in together at the apartment you're already at?"

"Because my lease is up, my landlord is a douche and that apartment is too cramped. If Neji and I are going to move in together, I want to be as comfortable as possible."

"Neji threatened your landlord, didn't he?"

"Wel, he _is_ your cousin."

Xin rolled her eyes but didn't fault Neji. Tenten's current landlord really was a douche, a perverted one at that. They rarely gathered at Tenten's apartment because none of them wanted to deal with the asshole.

"I want to be close to you guys though. Neither of you can afford a car right now and it's too dangerous to be too far."

"Yeah, I get that and everything but you shouldn't base it off of that alone. We don't live in the best part of Tokyo and I'm sure the two of you could afford better."

"Perhaps," Tenten shrugged and turned down a street that wasn't even five minutes away from Xin and Hinata. "But we talked about it and it's what we agreed on. You know it's hard to change my mind and damn there impossible to change his so just suck it up."

Xin rolled her eyes but quietly followed her to the next apartment she wanted to look at it. It was a nice apartment and had a similar layout to Xin's apartment. The living room and dining room was one open area along with a humble sized kitchen. The bathroom was a decent size and clean, which impressed Xin. Two bedrooms were available with the master bedroom being much larger than the second room.

"Well, I like it," Xin decided after a long pause. But the final decision wasn't up to her so she obediently followed after Tenten as the brunette made several rounds. She didn't blame her for being so thorough, this would be her living space and she'd be pissed if something was wrong that she hadn't noticed beforehand. Tenten stood in the middle of the living room, looking quite thoughtful. Xin stood at the large windows overlooking the street, eyes lazily watching Tokyo's citizens as they went about their day. She wondered who was a demon and who was not. It was odd to know that some demons intermingled into their society. She was glad they were mostly the ones who had no interest in consuming human flesh.

"I think I like it as well. Stay here and I'll go talk to the landlord about it, okay?"

Xin waved the brunette to handle her business, not really minding that she had to wait around. Tenten had been happy to help her when she was in need of an apartment, it was only right that she return the favor.

Five minutes hadn't even passed when something odd started to happen. A large ripping noise tore her attention from the window, causing Xin to frown. A rip in the air appeared, causing her stomach to sink, and expanded downwards and outwards. It stopped short before it could become an actual portal. Instead, it was about the size of a circular bathroom mirror, confusing Xin.

Although she knew it would have been wise to keep away from it, Xin slowly approached the would be portal. She held a small hand up towards it, leaning in towards it. Instead of going through it like she assumed, her fingers pressed against the surface of the portal. It felt and looked exactly like a glass mirror. Nothing happened for a good couple of seconds before the mirror violently shuddered. Xin snatched her hand away immediately and asked herself if should nope the fuck out of there.

A woman suddenly appeared on the other side of the mirror. She had long and thick silver hair that spilled messily over her shoulders and glittering black eyes. She looked familiar but Xin knew they'd never met before. "Finally," the woman hummed in a shockingly deep voice. "So the infamous descendant of Jun. You're much smaller than her."

Xin nearly bristled but kept her mouth shut. This wasn't right. Anyone making a reference to her relation to a miko that's been dead for over five hundred years wasn't a good thing. Couldn't be.

"Where's your sister, miko? I would prefer the two of you to be together. I hate repeating myself," the woman cooed at her like Xin was some child.

"Who the hell are you?" Xin demanded hotly instead. She didn't like this one bit. This woman, whoever she was, was giving her a bad vibe.

The woman sighed heavily. "How rude, you don't even remember a woman you tried to kill?" Masuyo shook her head and tutted in disappointment. Xin was steadily growing tired of whoever the hell she was.

"I didn't try to kill anyone."

"Liar!" the woman's calm mood snapped like a fine thread. She suddenly closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. A tight smile stretched her lips out but Xin wasn't buying it. "Forgive me, that was uncalled for," She laughed but Xin didn't join in. "I forget that you're only a vessel for that whore of an ancestor of yours."

"Fuck you," Xin snapped before she could really think things through. Okay, sure, it was Jun and Junko's fault she was in such a predicament but she wouldn't let some random woman in a random ass magical mirror to slander her for no reason.

The woman seemed amused if a little annoyed. "You're more temperamental, I see," She commented in seemingly good nature. "Seems like your tiny human brain can't recall my name so I'll just tell you."

"I can't recall shit that didn't happen to me."

"Masuyo. I am Masuyo."

Xin's blood ran cold as she recalled her meeting with Jun, which was still hard to get over. She mentioned Masuyo as being the mystic responsible for Kuraim's ruthlessness. She was the one to watch out for. Oh this was definitely not good. She should have just left when the damn mirror popped up in the first place. She was really bad at making snap decisions lately.

"I don't quite understand the obsession Kuraim has for you and your sister but I do know that I won't stand it for longer. I was here first. I was there for him when no one else was. You don't deserve his attention."

"I don't even want his att—"

"So this time I'll do it myself," Masuyo scowled harshly, twisting her face up into something that wasn't pretty. "I'll finish what Kuraim couldn't before he breaks free from his seal. If you're dead before he breaks free, he won't agonize over the two of you. The perfect plan, wouldn't you agree?"

"No. _Hell no_ I wouldn't agree. You're a fuckin' basket case and if you think I'm going to let you kill my sister over something that had nothing to do with her, you've got another damn thing coming."

Masuyo tutted once more. "It's fate, accept it," then she tilted her head to the side in thought. "But you'll let me kill you? You only said you wouldn't let me kill your sister. Are you resigned to your fate?"

If it meant protecting Hinata….

Hinata hadn't done a damn thing wrong in her entire life. She'd always been a sweet girl. She damn sure didn't deserve anything Masuyo had planned. But as for herself? Well...she wasn't a terrible person but she'd been far from the type of woman Hinata has grown into. She didn't deserve whatever was rolling around in Masuyo's head but she'd give herself up if it meant protecting Hinata.

"You're an interesting little one, aren't you?"

"Is that like a rhetoric question or…"

Masuyo shifted around before smiling once more. It didn't ease Xin at all. "Time is up, little one, but remember what I said. I'll kill the two of you. I'm not sure when and I don't know how but it will be soon and it will hurt. Until then," Masuyo waved with that creepy smile still in place.

The mirror quivered once more before receding inwards. Xin watched quietly as it closed in on itself before vanishing all together. Xin stood there with a disturbed expression about her. She was left speechless. Not only did she have to worry about that psycho Kuraim, she now had Masuyo blatantly gunning for their heads.

Fuckin' perfect.

* * *

Jura ambled along down the street, somewhat at ease but still a little paranoid that either Matsuri or Gaara would find out where he was heading. Not that it was any of their business what he did in his spare time but he doubted the estranged duo would approve. He took a turn and almost grinned when the quirky bakery came into view. So he liked the weird little human, so what? There wasn't any rules forbidding him from being her friend. It wasn't like she belonged to anyone so she was free to pursue, platonically and romantically.

A large grin overtook his face when he spotted the human in question. She was standing in front of the bakery, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket with a slouchy beanie. She was focused on her phone, a small frown on her face. "Yo, shorty!" He exclaimed a safe distance away, fearful that she might sucker punch him again if he surprised her. Her eyes flickered up towards him before she tucked her phone into the phone of her jeans. "Good to see you," Jura greeted cheerfully, deeming it safe enough to step within range of her hands.

"Hey," Xin smiled slowly, eyes sweeping the area. "Where's your partner in crime?" She asked rather casually. He could see a bit of frustration lingering in her gaze.

"Partner?"

"You know, that whack job, Matsuri."

Jura snorted and shook his head. "She isn't a whack job. She's just a little stressed out," He shrugged his shoulder. "Anyway, should you be out here by yourself?"

Xin's shoulders suddenly slumped. "Probably not," She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I was about to call someone to walk me home. Last time I was almost killed trying to walk home by myself and they won't let me live it down."

He almost sounded giddy, "I can walk you home?"

Her eyelids flickered to an unknown beat. "Um, really? You wouldn't mind?"

"Course not. I wouldn't have offered if I did mind," He pointed out in good nature. Xin quietly stared up at him, craning her neck to look him in the eye. She seemed somewhat unsure, probably wondering if her friends would approve of his company or not. He doubted her friends would approve of any demons hanging around her. Not that he really blamed them.

"If you're sure," She finally agreed with an air of casualty hanging over her. Jura only nodded firmly, following obediently following after her when she set off into the direction of her apartment. "So, you and Matsuri been friends long?" She asked in a relaxed manner, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. She seemed mostly at ease but there was a certain tightness to her shoulders that worried him.

"Childhood friends," Jura answered truthfully. "And Gaara. My older brother and sister are good friends with his siblings so it worked pretty well."

"Oh, so you're old as fuck too."

Jura let out a loud laugh. "Maybe to you. What're you? Eighteen?"

Xin visibly looked offended. " _Eighteen_? Are you kidding me? That's how old I look to you? Oh my God, I'm actually offended," Xin ranted in good nature. "I'm twenty-one, goddammit. I'm an adult."

"That barely makes a difference to me."

"Oh, well, we all can't be damn there immortal fossils," Xin snorted in a joking manner. Jura's smile dimmed down just a bit. If only she'd been born a demon, things would be different. They chatted lightly during the walk as if they'd been friends for years. He was almost surprised that he was so relaxed with her presence. He hadn't felt this at ease with another woman in what felt like a long time.

"So what's the deal with this Rasa guy?" Xin asked when they were about three minutes away from her apartment. She wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask about Rasa since Gaara didn't seem like he wanted to talk about him. But then again...it wasn't like Jura was his son. She was a nosy little shit and she doubted Jura would try to choke her out for digging into someone else's business.

"What about him?" Jura asked carefully, wondering where she was going with this.

"I don't know, he seems kind of like an asshole."

Jura snorted and moved closer to her with his hands shoved into his pockets. "That's a nice way to describe him, I guess. He's not the nicest guy around and he's pretty much the reason why Gaara is the way he is."

Xin nodded, soaking up the little bit of information he offered. "My cousin and Karin don't like Gaara hanging around me. They say he's too much of a danger. Do you think so too?" She asked slowly, seemingly frustrated once more. Jura didn't answer immediately. For the most part, he tried to avoid talking about Gaara. Xin just seemed a little too interested in the man for Jura's taste. He watched her from the corner of his eye, watching as she waited for his answer.

"He's...he isn't the safest to be around but he's better," Jura replied slowly. Gaara was one of his oldest friends, he wasn't the most savory man around but he was much better versus his younger days. Her interest in Gaara stabbed at Jura uncomfortably but he wouldn't lie about him or even slander him in an attempt to get close to Xin.

"I stabbed him with a kitchen knife," Xin suddenly stated coolly, nearly grinning when Jura let out a strangled gasp.

"You _stabbed_ him?"

"He was choking me."

"But you stabbed him? Oh my God, how are you still alive?" Jura fretted, seriously wondering about her state of mind. Either this woman was batshit crazy and didn't care about life or she just had balls made of steel. "Demons have died for less offenses and you actually got away with _stabbing_ him?"

Xin only shrugged. She really had no answer as to why Gaara hadn't killed her just yet. Sure, he choked her and constantly threatened her but that's as far as it went. Their last few encounters were even civil, with him rescuing her stupid ass and looking out for her. Jura paused in front of her apartment building, shifting uneasily. Nothing could hold Gaara's attention for too long and he killed in an almost mindless manner. Xin, with her short temper and sharp tongue, should already be dead. It wasn't by the Grace of God or some higher power that was looking out for Xin. She was only alive because Gaara allowed it. He witnessed demons being killed for simply looking at him wrong. And here comes this vertically challenged harpy, brandishing a damn kitchen knife against him.

Something wasn't right.

What went on in Gaara's personal life usually wasn't any of his business. What type of relationships he harbored didn't really interest Jura. He didn't even really get involved in the train wreck of a relationship between Gaara and Matsuri. But now that Xin was wiggling her way into Gaara's life, Jura felt the need to step in. Not that he would warn Xin away from Gaara, he was positive she wasn't the one actively seeking his friend out. Besides, she said that both Karin and Neji warned her to stay away. No, he would have to speak directly to Gaara.

He wasn't looking forward to it.

Xin swayed to an invisible beat, arms folded behind her. A genuine smile pulled at her lips and for a split second, Jura felt like he couldn't breathe. "I really appreciate you walking me home, Jura," She thanked him graciously. She honestly had no idea just how nice his name sounded rolling off her tongue. "For a demon, you're a really nice guy, it seems," She continued, unaware of his heart fluttering against his ricage.

Oh no. Definitely not good.

* * *

TeeBeMe: I feel so bad, like yall are deadass cheering for Xin and Gaara to happen and don't even give two fucks about Matsuri. What have I done? This is my fault, lmao. She deserves better. I know Gaara didn't pop up in this chapter but hopefully yall enjoyed Naruto and Hinata interacting. They're cute, I think but Naruto isn't all the way innocent, it seems. And Jura! My poor baby Jura. I created him for the sole purpose of loving Xin even though she wouldn't love him back. Something is wrong with me. I torture my OCs waaaaayyy too much.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the update. We're going forward with changing the rating to M so I hope that's okay with everyone. There's definitely going to be some dark themes taking place in this story. Dark themes and black humor seems to be my specialty. If there's any lemons, which I think there will be, I'll be sure to put a warning beforehand. Thank you for the support and see you next update!


	12. My dreams might let me know

**A/N: Warning, there's some light** **explicit content in this chapter. I'll place a warning when it starts and when it ends.**

* * *

Xin wished she could have said life went back to normal in the following weeks that bled into a month. But that would be a big fat lie and Xin wasn't one for lies so let her be the first to say life got even weirder. Mostly because of Gaara, Naruto and Jura's presence. Despite what any one of them might say, they quickly integrated into the twins' life. Tenten and Suigetsu accepted it easily, Neji more so begrudgingly accepted it but Karin detested the very notion.

For reasons no one could really explain, the trio of demons seemed to just flock to the twins' sides. They tended to walk with them whenever they set foot out the door. Gaara and Naruto tended to pop up at the end of the night to walk them home from the bakery or Xin from her gym. Jura tended to show up in the morning, usually by himself, but still willing to walk the two to classes and work. Xin and Hinata also practiced honing their spiritual abilities. They had somewhat of a difficult time since none of their friends could really advise them what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong. Despite that, their friends still made an honest effort to help them out.

"Your shift must be over," Moegi grinned as she sauntered into the back kitchen. She quirked a brow at the sight of Xin and Ami glaring at one another. Xin's face, as per usual, was covered in flour. "Your scary boyfriend is here."

Xin broke the glaring contest first, head whipping around to scowl at Moegi. "That psycho isn't my boyfriend," She snapped at the other girl, untying her apron. Moegi wondered how Xin managed to keep the apron relatively clean. Maybe because everything ended up on her face. Xin looked at Ami with a dry look before throwing the wrinkled apron at her face.

"You pocket-monster!" Ami yelled at Xin's fleeing back, cackles following her out of the kitchen. Moegi sighed, trying to hide the smile pulling at her lips.

Xin found Gaara sitting by the window, glaring at anyone who glanced at him for too long. "Oi, oi, quit glaring at everyone like that. You're scaring the shit out of customers," Xin scolded, pulling on her jacket. She barely even realized the summer months were slowly fading away into Autumn. He stood up with a grunt, standing over her. "Anko will rip my shit to pieces if you run her customers off with that look of yours."

Moegi watched the two look, the intimidating redhead dwarfing Xin. She wondered where in God's name had she met the man in the first place. He looked like some gangster, as handsome as he may be. As unorthodox as Xin's personality seemed, she still came from a wealthy background. She went to the best schools and socialized with Japan's high society. She was born with a diamond encrusted silver spoon in her mouth. Xin had no business associating with a man like that. As odd as she may be, she was still apart of the upper echelon. And what's more, he had to be a couple more years older than her.

"Maybe they met at her gym?" Moegi unintentionally spoke out loud, watching as Xin had to crane her neck backwards just to look him in the eye. It was almost comical how vastly different the two obviously were, they were like night and day.

The redhead suddenly looked over his shoulder, directing a mean look at Moegi. The younger girl visibly flinched backwards at the look, nearly shrinking in on herself. Xin seemingly happened to look as well, discreetly elbowing the man in the side. "I'll see you later, Mo!" She waved with a great big grin.

Moegi did not like this new boyfriend.

"Boyfriend?" Gaara prompted as the door swung shut behind them. A few people were still throwing glances out at them through the window. He shot them one last look that could have frozen Hell. "Is that what that human referred to me as?"

"She also called you scary," Xin added thoughtlessly. "Wait, you could hear her? We were in the back kitchen."

Gaara folded his arms across his broad chest. "Of course I could hear her. I also heard you call me a psycho," He glanced down at her, scowling all the while. Xin had the sense to look sheepish, turning her eyes away.

"It's not the worst I've called you," She replied innocently. "And besides, you come in there glaring at everyone like you're some psycho anyway. I'm sure I'm not the only one who said it," She snorted. His scowl became darker but Xin only shoved her hands into her pockets, eyes still drawn to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. The lights danced across her pale face, illuminating her features almost eerily.

For a month he tried to figure out what it was about her that drew him to her. She hadn't asked why he kept popping back up into her life recently but he figured she wondered about it. He had no ties to her, no obligations, no need to be around her.

And yet, he kept coming back.

Unlike him, Naruto was quite vocal about wanting to be around the twins. They interested him with their quirky personalities and rare heritage. Although Gaara felt like Naruto's interest was leaning more towards Hinata, which was odd because it seemed like Naruto's personality matched Xin's personality more than Hinata's shy disposition. They were both rather...obnoxious in an endearing way. A very odd feeling settled over him at the thought of Naruto preferring Xin. It's just...perhaps they were _too_ much alike. Yes, Hinata balanced out quite well with Naruto. So he guessed that meant Xin balanced him out as well.

And he supposed those words were true, which was even more odd because he often felt like choking the life out of her. She was just so.. _combative._ She probably had the worst temper he ever encountered, which was saying a lot since he often believed he was the one with the terrible temper. The temper on this tiny woman was fierce and she wasn't afraid to get violent. He had the scar to prove it.

But all around, she was _fun_. Xin challenged him, traded verbal blow for blow and refused to back down even when he snarled threats into her face. She had an interesting sense of humor, often teasing him for things that he would have killed others for. She spoke to him like he was person, not a demon to be feared. She scowled at him when he was being rude and told him exactly how she felt about his attitude.

Perhaps he just liked her. Hell if he would admit that to anyone but he liked the girl. Well maybe if Naruto seriously asked him but otherwise, hell if he'd say it out loud.

But deep down, there was something in him that just wanted to…. _break_ her. He wasn't sure if it was because she was a miko and he was a demon. She was pure and it was nearly woven in him to want to taint her. He was, by nature, a sadistic asshole. He knew that. Hell, Xin knew that. It was a known fact. Even so, the fact that he wanted to break her made him feel... _not right_. She didn't do anything to warrant such a thing. Okay, she stabbed him, but he was over that and it wasn't like he didn't deserve it. He was, after all, trying to strangle her.

He just wanted to bend her until she snapped, to see how she would react. He wanted to see what was under the anger, he wanted to crack her open and see her at her most vulnerable. It was wrong. _Wrong, wrong, wrong._

But _God_ , he just wanted to break her.

"Gaara?"

A small arm slithered around his arm, hand settling at his wrist. He felt the scrape of her nails against his skin, lighting his veins on liquid fire. He wanted to jerk away from her but he held his composure. Xin peered up at him, eyebrow quirked with a bit of amusement in her gaze. "It's not like you to space out. We'll miss the light," She nodded to the stoplight that was glowing red. He hadn't even realized they stopped at the would she know if it wasn't like him to space out or not?

His wrist was tingling.

"I'm fine," Gaara answered gruffly, shaking her grip. She let go without a fight, an almost apologetic smile pulling at her lips. She moved away with her hands raised in surrender. She nearly backed away into an older man standing slightly behind her but Gaara quickly snatched her away before she could.

"If walking me home is frustrating, you don't need to bother with it," Xin said as he pulled her across the street. She went willingly, not bothering to pull away from his strong grip. "I'm sure you have more important things to do than walking some girl back to her apartment."

Oh but she wasn't just _some_ girl now, was she?

Gaara beat the snide voice back into the dark corner of his mind.

"Aren't you needed in Suna?" She continued to talk, oblivious to his warring mind. One part of him wanted to keep her at safe distance, another part of him wanted to break her down into nothing. And the last remaining part of him?

Oh, he won't think about that part.

"I'm needed here," Gaara replied plainly. His hand was still coiled around her but Xin didn't seem to take notice of it. She made a funny face, head tilted to the side in thought but smiled once more.

"If you're sure," Xin hummed, shrugging leisurely. Her apartment came into view, relieving him. Xin pulled away from his grip, spinning on one heel so that her back was to the building. It was a wonder she didn't manage to fall. Still oblivious to his thoughts, she folded her arms behind her back and angled her smile at him. She swayed her hips to the side, looking innocent but a little wary. "Um," She rolled her lips together, eyes darting to look at the ground. "Look, um, I know you don't like me much and I know you've got more exciting things to do than to walk some girl home…"

Blankly he wondered why she thought she was just _some_ girl.

"But I really _do_ appreciate it," her face took on some color. "Life has been really...weird lately, especially with these damn rogue demons and Masuyo's psychotic ass.."

"Masuyo?" Gaara frowned, squinting slightly. That name sounded oddly familiar. Xin finally looked up at him, a little confused as she regarded him.

"They...didn't tell you?" She asked slowly. "Oh, well I guess they wouldn't. It doesn't necessarily involve you and you're already hunting down those rogue demons so I'm not surprised."

"What…" He trailed off, wondering if he should really ask about this Masuyo. She said it herself, it didn't involve him. She didn't expect anything from him. Whatever was wrong had nothing to do with him. "What about this 'Masuyo' person?" He asked anyway, knowing he was probably damning himself. Xin looked surprised that he wanted to know. She hesitated, reaching up to pull at her braided hair. It was long, he vaguely noted, watching as she pulled a little too hard at her hair.

"It's kind of hard to explain but…" Xin trailed off but then launched into a summarized version of Masuyo and Kuraim. She kept her voice low and for some reason he was not going to explain, he found comfort in her voice.

"So you mean to tell me two demons from your ancestors' past are hunting you and your sister down for something you have no control over."

Xin blinked, slightly amused that he summarized her summary. "Well, yes," She blinked quickly, eyelashes fluttering. "You basically summed up what I summed up," She laughed and it sounded like bells.

Fuck, he needed to get away from this girl.

Before either could say much else, Jura came waltzing down the street. "Oi, Gaara!" He waved, noticing the tall redhead first. He spotted Xin's head just barely over Gaara's shoulder. "Xin!" He grinned widely and bypassed Gaara completely to get to her. To Gaara's complete surprise and utter annoyance, Jura swamped Xin with his arms. Xin looked a bit surprised but didn't fight the hug off, smiling slowly.

"Hi, Jura," She hummed serenely as he nuzzled her cheek. She seemed completely at ease in Jura's embrace and it pissed Gaara the hell off.

"What are you doing here, Jura?" Gaara asked his old friend. Jura pulled away slowly, his hands lingering at Xin's waist. She was completely unaware, smiling when he pulled away. Gaara felt like prying the damn demon off her.

"I was looking for you, man. I need to talk to you."

Xin seemed to understand and backed away from the two. "Well, then, you're needed, Gaara. I'll head up, I'm sure Hinata is wondering what's taking so long. Thanks for walking me. I'll see you later. Or not. I won't hold it against you."

And there it was. She was telling him that it was alright if he dropped this odd habit of seeing her home. She wouldn't hold it against him if he stopped coming. What a funny thing. From the moment they met, she'd been trying to get rid of him. And while her protests hadn't bothered him before, he found them amusing, it bothered him now.

"Good night," She hummed before vanishing through the front doors of the building. Gaara watched until she stepped into the elevator before turning away. He glanced at Jura, who'd been watching her as well, before sighing.

"Come on," He nodded and set off. Gaara led Jura from Xin's middle class neighborhood to a more upscale one. It caused Jura to frown as they trekked through the neighborhood. Once Naruto and Gaara agreed to help out with the demonic infestation, Neji decided to put the two up in one of the Hyuga's townhouses. He found it odd that the Hyuga family owned such a nice house yet the two oldest girls were living below what they were used to.

The living room was the largest room in the townhouse, with dark wood floors and pale gray walls. A deep gray high-back tufted couch sat against one wall of the living room with a white fur rug laid out in front of it. A circular glass coffee table was situated in front of the couch, a vase of colorful flowers sitting on top of it along with a neat stack of books. A large screen television sat opposite of the couch, a pale gray staircase leading upstairs behind it. Down the short hallway was a tall doorway leading into a freakishly white kitchen. Jura didn't bother to go in there, somewhat nervous that he'd knock something over and stain the pristine room. Off to the side was a medium-sized bathroom with a luxurious looking bathtub.

The walls of the downstairs area were decorated with tasteful art and every surface had a vase of blooming flowers. Jura assumed that the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs were just as luxurious as the downstairs area. This was the sort of place Gaara expected Xin and Hinata to live in. He could tell, even without Neji's information, that the girls were raised in a wealthy atmosphere. So why they living where they were was a mystery to him.

"This is a nice place," Jura whistled, eyes traveling the living room. He took a careful seat at the couch, eyes still roaming. Gaara didn't bother to sit, eyeing his friend and just waiting for him to drop the bomb. "Right," Jura cleared his voice once he realized Gaara didn't give a fuck how nice the place was. "Rasa is getting...antsier…" Jura started out slowly. "I'm not sure what they've been telling him but your sister told me he keeps asking about your presence. Gaara, _please,_ you need to go back to Suna. Just for a little while, just to appease Rasa."

"That's not what you want to talk about."

Jura nearly deflated, sighing heavily. "No, not necessarily, but you need to know. What you're doing here is noble but as Matsuri said," He trailed, thinking of the brunette. Her mood hadn't gotten any better as of late. "You have responsibilities in Suna…"

"Yes, I've been reminded several times _but that's not what you want to talk about_."

Jura didn't falter even though he knew Gaara's tolerance was running low. "Okay. Fine. Why do you keep Xin company? What do you have in common with her? She's a kid, practically a _baby_ to you. You two constantly are at each other's throats and I fear that one day you'll just tear it out."

Oh he wouldn't want to tear her throat out. Not anymore, at least. Too messy.

"I'm not going to tear her throat out," Gaara said in a casual drawl. No, he was going to tear Jura's throat out if he didn't quit questioning him. What he did with his time was no one's concern but his own. Who he decided to involve himself with was his concern only.

"How do you know that?" Jura threw back quickly.

"How do you know that I will?"

"Because I've seen you do it before!"

"What reason would I even have to kill her, Jura?" Gaara asked pointedly. He was growing more and more irritated with one of his oldest friends. If his sister was present, she'd chide his impatient attitude. It was something she'd been trying to beat into his head for years, not to be so impatient.

"You've tried to before."

"And she stabbed me before," Gaara lifted his shirt to show the ugly snarl of flesh. "And has hit me with her car. Granted it was an accident and she no longer has that car but I'm sure she'd be willing to do it again. Do you fear that she might kill me?"

"You know she can't."

"She's a priestess. All she needs is a push in the right direction. Tenten has been helping both her and Hinata try to figure out how to use their spiritual energy. She _can_ kill me with enough concentration."

Jura frowned tightly, this wasn't going in the direction he'd hoped for. "Gaara, that's not the point. Xin can hurt you with knives, sure, and maybe she can kill you. _Maybe_. There's no maybe about what you can do to her. You can hurt her. You can kill her."

You _will_ kill her.

"I...the way you look at her reminds me of Matsuri…" Jura pieced together slowly. Gaara visibly bristled. That was a bold-faced lie. "It's true!" Jura insisted once he saw Gaara's look. "Okay, maybe it's not the exact same look but there's...desire in your eyes," the brunet said with a frown. Gaara continued to stare at him, at a loss for words. He desired a lot of things. But Hyuga Xin? That psycho? That was a lie. He wanted to choke her sometimes and the darker part of him wanted to break her but he did not want _her_. "There's desire but there's something dark in your eyes and I don't like it. I'm sure her friends don't either."

Well, Tenten and Suigetsu didn't seem to mind so much. Hinata was accepting of it but he figured that was only because of Naruto's involvement. Neji...he begrudgingly accepted their help. He wasn't thrilled at the thought of him and Naruto being around his cousins so much but he kept his annoyance mostly to himself. Karin...well...that redheaded harpy was not happy and made it widely known. Gaara didn't really care too much. He never got along with Karin so the fact that she was constantly pissed off at him didn't bother him.

"Her friends don't like the entire situation. But they're adults, young as they may be. Doesn't matter what her friends like and dislike."

"So you won't stop seeing her?"

"Will you?"

"I'm not the threat here."

"Of course you're not. You don't want to kill her. You want to fuck her brains out."

Jura choked on his spit, struggling to regain his composure. "What?" He gasped, truly scandalized. "I do not—that is not true!" He insisted in an almost panicked tone. Gaara only snorted, amused if not a little annoyed with Jura. "I just want to be her friend. Nothing more."

Gaara wasn't so convinced and Jura didn't try hard enough to convince him.

* * *

 **(((EXPLICIT CONTENT STARTS HERE)))**

Later that night, when Jura was long gone and Gaara retired to bed, he had an odd dream. A _sexual_ dream. He didn't get those a lot because it wasn't like he thought of sex often enough to dream about it. He was sated for the moment, though it had been quite awhile since then. But it didn't bother him. He had more important things to worry about. But a sex dream? That just didn't happen. He didn't _dream_ about women. If he wanted a certain woman in his bed, he'd get her there. He didn't dream about her being in his bed. That was something _boys_ did. It wasn't like women, for him, was out of reach. If he found a woman he was attracted to, he fucked her. Plain and simple.

So why on earth was he having a sexual dream?

At first he assumed it was about Matsuri. He couldn't see the woman clearly enough but he'd been in a relationship with the brunette the longest, so it made sense to be her.

It wasn't Matsuri.

He knew Matsuri's body like the back of his hand. She was strong, athletic and tanned from spending so much time under Suna's unrelenting sun. The body underneath him, twisting and shuddering from pleasure, was not Matsuri. At the moment, he could only focus on the stomach of the woman. It was flat and smooth with just a hint of her abs. Her muscle definition wasn't as pronounced as Matsuri's lean figure and she felt a lot softer.

And she was so pale.

So his thoughts traveled to the women of Konoha, perhaps. Konoha was filled to the brim of beautiful woman so it wasn't exactly unheard of to lust after them. Naruto's childhood friend and first crush, Sakura was a gorgeous woman with sparkling green eyes and soft pink hair. Sakura was undeniably and overwhelmingly alluring and though Gaara wouldn't have minded, he never actively sought her out. She was romantically involved with Sasuke and as pretty as she was, was not worth all the drama Sasuke's psycho ass would bring.

But a sexual dream about her...well...wait. Sakura's hips weren't that wide and….fleshy. Whoever this woman was, she possessed wide hips with a little more meat on her bones than Naruto's childhood crush. So maybe Sakura's best friend, Ino? Oh but this woman's legs weren't long enough. Ino had deliciously long legs. And while this woman's legs were supple yet somewhat firm with muscle, they weren't long at all. Whoever this woman was, she was short, pale and soft.

Who in the blue fuck was this girl?

The woman shuddered under him, a breathy moan escaping her. Her voice was far too soft for any woman he might've known and dreamt about. His hands, gripping too hard at her hips, moved up her stomach. Bruises in the form of his fingerprints were peppered at her hips, some spots even bleeding from his claws. Heavy breasts spilled greedily into his hands, eliciting a breathy sigh from the mystery woman. Small hands suddenly came into view, decorated with tiny scars and bruises, and snatched at his wrists. They pressed his hands harder to her chest, shifting under him. Vaguely he could make out a long jagged scar running up her forearm.

Her hands moved from his wrists to his shoulders, blunt nails digging into his skin. They weren't impossibly sharp, like a demonic woman's nails would be. No, they were some sharpness to her nails but not enough to really hurt him. She could draw blood if she really tried but they felt mostly dull to him.

She sat up suddenly, pressing tightly against him and sliding her arms around his neck. Heavy breasts led up to surprisingly small shoulders that led to a slender and pale neck. She possessed a delicate jaw and pouty lips that were swollen and obviously bitten. Hair spilled over naked shoulders, much too long to be Matsuri or Sakura's hair but still too short for Ino's mane. The locks were dark, nearly black but obviously a deep blue.

A face was beginning to form but he was still somewhat clueless. His hips twitched in one slow roll, causing her breasts to bounce and her mouth fell open into a perfect 'o'. Her lips were impossibly pink but he noticed a well or two of blood peppering her bottom lip. Her head fell back on her neck, body jerking with each thrust. He was hurting her, he _knew_ he was hurting her but she wasn't protesting and he was never gentle in bed. More bruises marred her skin from her hips, her stomach to her breasts, left behind by his too strong of a grip.

Goddammit, he just need to see her eyes.

As if reading his mind, her head snapped up to look him dead in the eyes. Although hooded with lust and pleasure, the color of her eyes stood out against her face.

Pale lavender.

Suddenly it all made sense. The soft body with slight muscle definition. The hands littered with scars from spending too much time in the kitchen. The jagged scar on her forearm from a demon that meant to kill her sister. The dark hair that looked like blue ink.

Good God, he was fucking Hyuga Xin.

 **(((AND ENDS HERE)))**

* * *

Gaara sat up with a surprised grunt.

Oh no. God, no. Fuck no.

That was just...not right. Hell, it had to be sacrilegious. A miko and a demon? Him and Xin? Oh no, no, that...it just wasn't happening. Okay, sure, she was a pretty girl and her tits were actually impressive but it...it was _Xin_ , for Christ's sake. Psychotic and angry Xin. This was Jura's fault. It was him and his fuckin' accusations of desiring that pint-sized harpy. Him? Gaara? _Desire_ Xin? _Touch_ her? _Fuck_ her?

Absolutely not.

He was going to kill Jura. He was going to rip those eyes of his straight out of his fuckin' head. Let's see if he can still see if Gaara desired Xin without his eyeballs. Not that he even desired that...that... _that girl._ Because that's all she was to him. A fuckin' bigmouthed girl who needed to get the fuck away from him with her nice tits and her stupid hips and her awful ass lips.

Fuck. He was going to straight murder Jura. Gaara let out a long suffering groan, dropping his head and digging into his hair. "For fuck's sake," Gaara hissed, blinking hard. He sat up and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes, rubbing roughly at them. Maybe if he scrubbed his eyes hard enough, the image of a thoroughly fucked Xin would go away.

Christ, it wasn't going away.

His door suddenly swung open. Naruto stood on the other side, looking groggy and only slightly concerned. "Man, what the hell is wrong with you? You've been groaning in your sleep for the last fuckin' hour."

"I'm going to fuckin' kill Jura."

"Yeah? I'll help but can it wait til' the morning?"

Gaara threw back his head and groaned for the umpteenth time.

* * *

"It's still pretty weak but Tenten says I'm doing great so far."

Hinata smiled excitedly as the Hyuga sisters entered their apartment after a rather grueling shift at the bakery. Xin wasn't in much of a good mood, having taking a vicious kick to the head at the gym before her shift at the bakery. She was nursing a migraine that just refused to go away and the bakery didn't help by being impossibly packed. God, she just wanted a bubble bath and her bed. "You've always been a great student, Hina, I'm not surprised you're doing great so far," Xin managed to say in a pleasant tone, dropping her bag to the couch. She, on the other hand, hadn't made much progress with her own spiritual training.

Which she couldn't understand. If she was the direct reincarnation of Jun, shouldn't she be just as talented with bullshit like this?

Maybe that's why she couldn't grasp it, she kept calling it bullshit.

"I'm going to take a bath," She announced, shoving her bitter jealousy down. Of course Hinata was doing great. Stuff like this came easy to her.

"Alright. Maybe we'll have a quick dinner? I'll get you some pain medicine," Hinata offered good naturedly. Xin smiled in gratitude before heading to her bedroom for a change of clothes. Hinata went to her own bedroom to pick out clothes for her when she was finished showering.

"Xin?" Hinata called over the roar of bath, knocking on the door. "Did I leave my tank top in there? The one I sleep in?" She asked through the wood. She heard Xin shuffling around before calling her in to come check. She entered the bathroom, humming in delight at the scent of the bubble bath filling the room. Xin was standing at the mirror, dressed in her gym shorts and sports bra. She was trying to gather her thick hair up into a bun. "I'll help," Hinata offered, approaching her struggling twin. Xin sighed her thanks, allowing her hair to drop down her back. Hinata busied herself with pulling the locks into a perfect bun at the top of her head.

"What would I do without you, sister of mine?" Xin gave her a tired smile, stepping away from the mirror. She hurried to the tub, turning the water off and humming. Hinata chuckled quietly to herself and peered into the closet for her top.

A sudden ripping noise caused them to halt. Xin slowly turned towards the bathroom door, biting her bottom lip. That was never a good sound. She moved closer to the door, carefully peering out. Forming at the back of the couch was one of those damned swirling portals. Xin swore quietly and quickly eased the door shut before turning out the light and locking the door.

"Hina, call Tenten. Or Neji, anybody. Something bad is coming out of that portal. I can feel it."

"I don't have my phone."

Xin never turned around so fast. True to her word, Hinata was phoneless. "Oh fuck," Xin swore, feeling her heart sinking. How could they alert their friends that a damn demon was in their apartment? She felt herself panic a little. "O...kay...we're going to have to figure something out or we'll die tonight."

"...a barrier."

"What?"

"Xin, a barrier. Maybe we can form a barrier against the door."

"Hinata, you know damn well I'm not good enough yet."

The door handle twisted, not opening by the weak lock. "We don't have a choice, Xin. Focus and help me or we'll die."

Something hard slammed against the door, throwing the girls into action. They threw their bodies against the door just as a hole was punched through it. They squealed at the same time, dodging some of the splinters and tried to concentrate. A slim, nearly transparent, pink wall flickered in front of the door. Xin snapped her eyes shut, trying her very best to help her sister. Right now, it was mostly because of Hinata that the barrier was even holding. A reptilian-like hand punched another hole into the door only to have their fist collide into the barrier. It shuddered but held, causing the demon to shriek against the pain. "The one time we need our goddamn phones," Xin hissed, holding her hands against the barrier.

It went on like that for who knows how long before their combined effort began to wane. Their eyes became wide when the protective wall flickered out like a bulb losing it's fuse. For all of three seconds it was quiet before the demon let out a weird hiss. The door, lock be damned, was suddenly ripped open and nearly came off the hinges. Xin shoved Hinata backwards and dodged out of the way of the first swipe. She dropped to the floor and suddenly crawled out of the bathroom by darting between his legs. Hinata momentarily forgotten, the demon turned and gave chase to Xin. She vaulted over the couch, barely missing the coffee table.

The demon was hot on her heels, knocking her couch aside with a swipe of its tail. Xin would have cursed because she was sure her couch was now in two pieces but she was too busy dodging for her life. The tail suddenly snapped around her ankle, tripping her up. He moved quickly, bending down to snatch her up by the ankle. He dangled her upside, grinning deviously at her while she struggled in his grip. She twisted as his claws sank into her ankle. Blood began gushing down her leg, causing her ankle to slip from his grasp. Xin dropped unceremoniously to the wooden coffee table, gasping as it shattered under her.

She laid there for a couple of moments, knowing she was bleeding somewhere from the coffee table. Her contemplation was cut short when that same damn hand wrapped around her throat. Hinata, who'd made her way out of the bathroom, let out a shriek of surprise. The demon's tail snapped out again, this time wrapping around Hinata's throat. She let out a strangled cry and fell forward, struggling and fighting the appendage around her neck.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a loud guttural snarl. It could have been the demon currently choking them both but it sounded too familiar to her. She heard a loud snapping sound and could vaguely make out the sound of a scream that didn't sound like Hinata. The pressure around Xin's neck was gone and Hinata dropped to the floor. Xin rolled to her side, nursing her bruised neck as she took in greedy gulps of air. The screaming stopped, dying out with a strangled gurgle. Xin blinked hard before a familiar redhead leaned over her. "Xin," Gaara called roughly, trying to get her attention. He crouched over her, fingers lightly tracing her bruised throat.

Behind him, Naruto was helping a dazed Hinata sit up. She seemed much better off than her sister, only suffering from a bruised throat. The blond rubbed her back soothingly, muttering softly to console her. Gaara looked back down at Xin. She was clearly in worse condition but it wasn't in his nature to comfort. Especially not her. He didn't even want to be in her presence at the moment. Not when his dream was still so rawly fresh in his brain.

But she needed help. She was bleeding profusely from her ankle and her back. Bruises were forming a ring around her neck and she was gasping like she'd been held under water. "Xin, you have to calm down," Gaara finally said, realizing the woman was going to have an anxiety attack if he let her continue. "Calm down, you're safe now. Just calm down."

It took her several minutes to stop gasping erratically. She blinked up at him, vision seemingly clearing. "Oh Jesus Christ," She rubbed at her throat, eyes screwed shut tightly.

"Now would have been a perfect time to stab him like you stabbed me," Gaara uttered dryly. Xin's eyes popped open to stare blankly up at him. Without warning, a wide smile cracked her blank expression.

"Shut up," She said through a pained gasp. "And help me up, I'm bleeding," Xin ordered, reaching one arm for him. Gaara hesitated for a moment, staring down at her. Deciding to put that damn dream into the darkest corner of his mind, he leaned down to help her sit up.

Why the fuck was she only wearing a sports bra?

Gaara nearly groaned at the state of her undress but soldiered on, shifting to get a better look at her injured back. She was breathing harshly through clenched teeth but tried to remain quiet. He began picking the broken pieces of wood sticking to her back, frowning deeply when he came upon a chunk of wood that cut too deeply into her back. He considered yanking it out but decided not to do that. He wasn't sure how deep it was and he couldn't heal her if he pulled it out and she started bleeding all over the place. On top of that, he doubted they learned how to heal yet. "You're an awful priestess," Gaara reminded her, slipping his arms carefully around her.

Xin threw one arm around his neck and held onto her wrist with her other hand. Gaara was careful of her back as he stood to his feet. "You've said that before," Xin muttered almost in a dazed.

Gaara glanced behind him again. Hinata was to her feet with Naruto supporting her slight weight with his arm wrapped around her waist. "We're going to Tenten's apartment. Xin needs to be healed. _Again_."

"Fuck you."

"I'll drop you."

"Oh sure, torture the crippled."

"You aren't crippled, you're an inconvenience."

Xin snorted but didn't say much else, opting to close her eyes. She leaned her head against him, fitting against him a little too well for his liking. Hinata broke from Naruto, hurrying towards Gaara. She stood on the tips of her toes, peering into her sister's face. A matching bruise was beginning to form around her own neck. "Come, you can stare at her all you like once we get her to Tenten," Gaara turned abruptly towards the door. Hinata frowned after him but was distracted when Naruto scooped her up effortlessly.

She wasn't too sure of the look she caught in Gaara's eye.

* * *

Tenten wrenched her door open, scowling harshly. She had only a second to realize who'd been pounding on her door when Gaara shoved by her. She let out an alarmed squawk as the tall redhead practically stormed into the living room. Neji, Karin and Suigetsu looked up from the various spots around the living room when Gaara stopped short. The room was quiet for barely a second before it erupted into shouts. "I knew it!" Karin screeched, surging to her feet. "You tried to kill her _again_ , didn't you? You warmongering son of a bitch!" She continued in her too shrill voice. Suigetsu caught her around the waist before she could go barreling into Gaara.

"Karin!" Naruto tried to calm her over her shouts.

"No, shut the hell up, Naruto!"

"Karin, you shut the hell up! For fuck's sake, woman, just _listen_ for once in your life!" Naruto shouted right back. "He didn't try to kill her, he saved her. The girls were being attacked by a demon."

Gaara shoved Xin into Naruto's arms, jostling the woman. Her eyes snapped open but she didn't say anything despite all the yelling. Naruto fumbled with the sudden bundle in his arms but held on. Gaara approached Karin, staring her down. "If you're so concerned about either of them, why didn't you bother to check on them? This apartment is not far from their apartment and yet you didn't notice the demonic energy?"

Karin's face turned red in anger at the accusations hidden in his tone. "Fuck you! Don't act like you're her Prince Charming all of a sudden when you tried to kill her first! You don't have the right," Karin seethed up at him, fox ears unfurling from the top of her head.

"But I'm sure you do?" Gaara asked tonelessly. "Are you even concerned for Xin or is it just the dead miko in her that you're concerned for?"

The living room became awkwardly silent. "How dare you?" Karin hissed, baring sharp teeth at him. "Who the hell are you to just come in here with bullshit like that? You don't even _know_ Xin. You tried to kill her more than once!"

"Yes, Uzumaki, I know. We all know I tried to kill her but am I trying to kill her now? No, I'm trying to save her but you won't shut the fuck up for more than five seconds."

The two weren't getting anywhere with their arguing but hell if either redhead would back down first. Luckily, Hinata decided to put an end to it. "That's enough! Who cares about any of that? She's going to bleed out at this rate if you two keep arguing like this," She reminded them sharply, looking every bit of fed up. Everyone turned towards the smaller woman, impressed by the hard edge in her voice. Naruto took his cue, shoving by Gaara, Karin and Suigetsu to get to the couch. He set Xin down as gently as he could and kept her upright.

"Where'd Gaara go?" Xin slurred, eyelids flickering.

"You really want him over me?" Naruto asked in a jokingly manner. "I'm hotter than him, you know," He grinned at her but kept a firm grip on her when she leaned backwards. "Oi, you can't lay down yet. You'll hurt your back."

"I can't feel my back."

"Well, that's alarming. Tenten? You wanna do your thing or…?" Naruto glanced over his shoulder at the brunette. She had an odd look on her face but seemingly snapped out of it. She rounded on them, peering at the mess of Xin's back. She cringed at the sight of the wood lodged into her back. Naruto took the opportunity to move, grabbing Gaara to practically throw him at the dazed miko. The moment he was close enough, Xin reached out to curl her fingers around his wrist.

"I can't feel my ankle either," She leaned closer towards him. Gaara crouched down and didn't bother to yank his hand away from her.

"You've gone into shock," Gaara told her, watching as Tenten reached for the wood. "It's probably for the best," He spoke in a gruff tone but Xin didn't seem to notice. The moment Tenten began to dislodge the piece of wood, Xin's composure shattered. Tears gathered to the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. She gasped painfully but tried to mask it by snapping her mouth shut. Her grip on Gaara's hand tightened before seemingly realizing that she was holding onto him in the first place. She began pulling her hand away, faintly remembering that he didn't seem to like the idea of physical contact between them.

Unless he was trying to kill her.

Surprisingly, Gaara didn't let go of her hand. He didn't say anything but gave her what he thought was a reassuring squeeze. To a demon, an injury like this would be nothing. He would have easily pulled the chunk of wood out and continued about his day. But she was a human. A soft, young, human girl. Sure, she boxed but this type of injury was completely different. She was trying to be strong but Tenten was taking her damned sweet time with removing the wood. Whimpers crawled from in between her sealed lips, the only sound in the otherwise quiet living room. Tenten muttered apologies the entire time, nearly sighing in relief when the wood finally slid from Xin's skin. Blood began pouring from the sizable wound, alarming them all as it dribbled down her back.

Tenten summoned _Lóngyǎn,_ hands roaming over the crystal ball. The red energy seeped out onto her hands and _Lóngyǎn_ vanished. Tenten pressed the energy to the wound, muttering soothing words as the damaged skin began to stitch itself back together with the help of the energy. The brunette wordlessly moved to Xin's bleeding ankle, repeating the process. She was able to heal the bruises around both Xin and Hinata's neck with relative ease after Xin's bleeding wounds were taken care of. Luckily there was no bruises left behind.

"So," Suigetsu took his time to look at everyone. Karin's face showed her obvious anger and displeasure with the entire situation. That didn't really surprise him. Lately that's all she ever was. They'd been fighting more and more lately. "Why's Xin barely dressed?"

The woman in question must have suddenly realized her state of undress because she looked down at herself with a frown. She then threw her head back, letting out a mournful whine. "My baaaaaath."

Hinata let out a ironic laugh, shaking her head. She launched into an explanation of how the sisters were just trying to have a normal night. Of course, any form of normality flew out the window once Xin hit Gaara with her car.

Who wanted to be normal anyway?

Xin ran her hand roughly down her face. "We need to get home and clean up. The apartment is ruined."

Naruto made an odd face at her words. He glanced in between the twins, frowning as Hinata agreed. "Are you two crazy?" He intercepted the conversation, surprising the two. "You two were nearly killed just now and you want to go back?"

"Well…" Xin trailed off with a thoughtful but worried look on her face. "Hinata, maybe you should go back to Mom and Dad for awhile," She tapped her chin. If Hinata had just stayed with their parents, she wouldn't be involved in such a sticky situation.

"Maybe you should as well," Hinata commented stubbornly.

"I'll never hear the end of it," Xin huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "It's fine if you go back for now. Someone has to clean the apartment anyway."

The group watched as the twins quietly bickered back and forth. Hinata refused to go back to their parents without Xin but it was clear the wayward daughter wasn't entirely welcomed to move back in. Their friends opted not to get involved, knowing about the strained relationship between Xin and her parents. "Who's going to clean the apartment if you get killed by being by yourself?"

"And what sense does it make for the both of us to be killed?"

"As cute as this is…" Naruto grinned, stopping the argument. "It's true that it's not a good idea to go back for the night and going to your parents' home isn't the best idea, either. However, I have an idea."

"Great," Neji intoned blankly.

"You two can stay with the two of us. Maybe Tenten and Xiurong can put a barrier around the apartment but in the meantime, stay with us."

"Have you lost your shit?" Karin snapped. Naruto didn't seem to be at all surprised by her outburst. "You expect us to be okay with them staying with the two of _you_?" She pointed in between him and Gaara.

"Oh come on, Rin, give it a break! If either of these girls die, it won't because of us! It's because you're too stubborn to trust anyone else with their safety!"

"You _really_ want me to trust the two of you with them?!"

"Who's the ones who saved them not even an hour ago from being killed? Sure as Hell wasn't any of you! So just give it a rest," Naruto snapped, tired of Karin's attitude as of late. Karin was utterly speechless. Naruto wasn't known for losing his temper, at least not in recent years. Not off of the battlefield. He didn't lose his temper with her, as bad tempered as she could be.

"So…" Xin slowly broke the awkward tension. "You guys have like...a house? In the human realm?"

"Neji loaned us one of your family's townhouses," Gaara finally spoke up, looking down at her. "It's easier to just stay here instead of going back and forth between this realm and the demon realm," He explained, wondering if she would be offended. The twins shared a look of shock but slowly nodding. It made sense. Gaara and Naruto had to stay somewhere in the realm if they wanted to continue to help. It was kind of odd that Neji was kind enough to loan them one of their townhouses. She wondered if her parents were aware of two demons inhabiting one of their places.

"Listen, we can keep a closer eye on them. On top of that, our demonic energy and scents can hide their weaker energy and smell. Demons will be less likely to go after them if they think we're involved with them. You guys don't have the kind of pull. We do. We said we would help, we're trying to help," Naruto quickly said, wishing the group would just ease up for once.

It was obvious that Xin had quite enough. "Well help me the hell up already then! I had a shit day and I want a bath. Those townhouses have nice bathtubs, they have jets!"

Hinata dropped her head into her hands, muffling her laughter. She stood up, still laughing softly. "If it's not too much trouble for the both of you. We would really appreciate it. Do you mind if we go back to our apartment to get some things?"

"You can't walk?" Gaara asked tonelessly, scooping Xin up effortlessly. She made a sound of shock, having thought Naruto would pick her up.

"I don't have any goddamn shoes on, genius," Xin rolled her eyes, throwing her arms around his neck once more. "Just get us back to our place and I'll put some on."

"You're rather bossy for someone who needs help."

The foursome left as quickly as they came, leaving the group in a tense silence. "What in the actual fuck," Karin growled after just staring at the door. "Why in the fuck was that okay just now?"

Tenten took a deep breath. They'd been having a good night, no one was fighting or giving the silent treatment. Everything was all good. "Because Naruto made a good point, Karin. They can keep a better eye on the twins than we can."

"Naruto, maybe. But Gaara? You're actually going to trust that psycho not to hurt Xin? I told you about his past. He's not safe!"

"Listen, Rin, I think yer' being a bit over dramatic right now. No, Gaara doesn't have the cleanest past but if he wanted Xin dead, she would be dead by now. Ya have to calm and stop aggravating him," Suigetsu tried to say in a placating voice. Karin's face was as red as her hair.

"Besides, the twins are capable of making their own decisions. If Xin and Hinata are comfortable enough to stay with them, then that's the end of it."

"I'm not comfortable with that look in his eye…."

* * *

Gaara dropped Xin to her feet, ignoring the disgruntled look on her face when he pulled his arms from her. She nearly toppled over from his rough handling but Naruto clapped a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Xin followed after Hinata into their apartment, halting with a grimace at the state of her apartment. Hinata noticed her stiff stance and sighed. "Xin, don't worry about the mess right now. We'll take care of it later."

"I need to take care of it now."

She was getting this strange look in her eyes but Gaara placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "We don't have time for your eccentrics, girl. Get your shit and let's go. Tenten will take care of it," He ordered, not in the mood for one of her quirks. Karin's protest couple with Jura's accusations were riding his mind hard. They both thought he was a danger to the girl and Jura even believed he was actually attracted to her. He probably wasn't making for a good argument if he constantly came to her aide and was even opening his door to offer her a sanctuary. Never mind that it wasn't _his_ door, per say, but same shit.

He shoved at her, wanting her to get a move on. She glared at him, sucking her teeth in displeasure, but quickly hurried to her room. "I thought we were on first name basis!" She yelled from her bedroom. Gaara gave a snort, listening as she rustled about. She and her sister darted to the bathroom, shoving things into their bags. Moments later they were ready to go. Gaara was pleased to see Xin had properly dressed herself and wouldn't need to be carried.

The walk from the twins' apartment to the townhouse was filled with their chattering and lighthearted bickering. It...it put Gaara at ease, for reasons he couldn't explain, to be around theses quirky girls. It was different, he was relaxed. Or maybe he could actually explain but he just didn't want to explain why he felt so placid to be around them.

Xin whistled as they followed them up the townhouse. "Neji must've been feeling generous. This is one of the nicer ones," She grinned widely as they stepped into the living room.

"It is pretty nice," Naruto nodded along to her words. He and Gaara had taken over the two biggest rooms but offered to take the smaller ones. Xin and Hinata declined their offer, settling for the smaller rooms just fine. They wouldn't be staying long enough to monopolize Gaara and Naruto's routine anyway.

"At least I have the day off tomorrow," Xin mumbled when she stepped out from the bathroom. She was fresh-faced and in a better mood. "Man, I missed bathtubs like that," She nearly purred while stretching her arms above her head. While she was busy bathing and lamenting the odd direction her life had taken, Naruto and Hinata volunteered to go out and get food. "I hope they get something good," She said while stepping into the living room.

"You're not concerned about your sister being alone with Naruto?" Gaara asked blandly from the couch. She eyed him with a frown, wondering why the hell he was sitting in the living room doing nothing. The television wasn't even on. Did demons even watch TV to begin with? He could have at least turned it on for some background noise. He was a little surprised when she threw herself down next to him.

"Was she concerned with leaving _me_ with _you_?"

"Not in particular."

"Then that answers your question, now doesn't it?" She gave him a smile. "Besides, I think he might have a small crush on her."

"And you're okay with that."

Xin's smile remained but her eyebrows twitched in a thoughtful way. "Hinata is the one who usually makes sound decisions. If she's okay with it, I'm okay with it. If he does something or tries to hurt her, I'll just stab him."

"You're quite good at that."

"In the eye."

"Even better."

Xin let out a loud laugh that lit the townhouse up. Gaara felt himself slouch further into the couch, completely at ease. Xin pulled her legs up, situating them under her as she also relaxed. "You and your sister argued about returning to your parents. Are you not welcomed there?" He suddenly asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Her smile slipped and a small part of him regretted asking about her parents. He remembered her asking who Rasa was and getting the message that he didn't want to discuss his father. Perhaps he should have showed her that same courtesy?

"Well...not that I'm not welcomed there…" She trailed off, mouth twisting in a thoughtful pucker. "I'm sure they'd let me back but it would be...awkward? Strained? My father and I weren't seeing eye to eye and he was pissed that I made the choice not to finish schooling. I _do_ have a degree but it's good for entry level jobs and the Hyuga doesn't do _entry_ level. It didn't help when I moved out either," She explained in a tone that was obviously struggling to sound careless. But she was rubbing at her ankle in an obsessive way. Her eyes had a glassy, far off look that made him feel.. _wrong_. "Women like us, rich women, usually stay with their parents until they're married. Keeps us safe or whatever."

"You mean it keeps you _controlled_."

"Same thing."

Gaara was a little unnerved with her blase attitude. He figured ideals like that died out years and years ago. Women, demonic or human, were tenacious beings and he held a lot of respect for women he knew. A small part of him respected even Xin for not giving into the pressure of her parents.

"So being twenty-one, moving out and not finishing school was a hard blow to them. You know, now everyone in their circle knows they have a 'rebellious' daughter and no one wants a rebellious daughter. Makes for a rebellious wife," Xin spoke with a spark of mischievous amusement in her eyes. Like maybe she was proud to be a black smudge on her family's pristine name. "I mean, I've always been rebellious but I should have mellowed out by now. Those days need to be behind me already."

"You humans," Gaara rolled his eyes. "So ridiculous. You have such short lifespans and waste it on worrying about insignificant bullshit," He snorted. To her credit, Xin remained unaffected by his words. She leaned over to place her elbow on the arm of the chair. She balanced her head against her fist and closed her eyes, smiling once more.

"Well that's easy to say when you're practically immortal. I bet anything a human does will seem insignificant to a demon. We're just living the best way we know how but it all seems so small to someone like you," She said lightly. "But ask us if we care," She popped one open, her mirth evident. "Got to give us a credit, we make the best out of any situation we're put in."

He had to agree with that statement. For someone who's life was in mortal danger, Xin remained nonchalant. The fact that she'd nearly been choked to death three hours ago didn't bother her in the least. She, like many demonic women he knew, was strong-willed. It was impressive, really, and he wondered if he should say as much. He didn't come across girls like her often.

"Speaking of situation, the demon that attacked you. How did it get into your apartment? Nothing was amiss except for the couch and the coffee table," Gaara asked carefully, watching her for a reaction. Just as he figured, she didn't react. The front door or the window should have been broken into.

"Portal," She hummed.

"One of Masuyo's?"

"Probably."

"For someone who is in grave danger, you're rather calm about it."

She shifted and began rubbing at her ankle once more. "I don't know what else to do," She said in a low voice. "About a month ago, she opened up this mirror thing in Tenten's apartment to threaten me. She knows how to locate my sister and I. She's just playing with us, I think."

"So you're just waiting for her to strike her killing blow."

"Essentially, yes. I just have to keep her away from Hinata. Kuraim was in love with my direct ancestor, not Hinata's. She shouldn't suffer for that."

"And so you should? You sound like a martyr, that's not like you."

"And how would you know?"

How _would_ he know? Did he actually know this stupid girl? And what's more, wasn't he supposed to be keeping some distance between them? He was not keeping the distance. She was a cushion away. He should've left the moment she stepped into the living room.

He looked at her and instantly recalled that fuckin' dream. With her stupid lips and damn hips. She was _not_ that damn attractive. She was a short little hobbit with freakish eyes and blue hair. She was too goddamn pale and bruised easily. And her hands. They were a macabre of patchworked scars. A sight like that, feminine hands riddled with bumpy scars, would turn a man off.

They didn't turn him off and he knew right then and there that he was fucked.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Someone's got a cruuuuuuush. Let's see how long it'll take him to admit to it. Xin still doesn't have a crush but that's only because she's kind of stupid. Let's see how long it'll take her to even notice. Well maybe he doesn't even have a crush on her, who knows? Obviously not him. And Xin always has a funky relationship with her parents, it never fails.

I know that the sexual dream wasn't too heavy but I wanted to put a warning anyway. I'm not sure what everyone is comfortable with and I don't want to offend anyone at all so I hope no one minds. I wonder how Xin would react if Gaara told her that he had a dream like that about her. I think it would be fucking hilarious. Their whole relationship is hilarious.


	13. He doesn't look a thing like Jesus

Two days in and he already regretted opening the door to the twins. Well, that's not exactly fair to say. Hinata and Xin weren't terrible roommates. They went about their days as usual and didn't bother the two demons too much. They even cooked food. And though neither of them would admit to it, it was nice returning to the townhouse to see their smiling faces.

And then Matsuri showed up.

Gaara should have been more alert but fuck all, he was tired. So when Naruto and Gaara returned from a particular nasty fight with three demons, he opted to lay down in his room for a bit. Hinata was clanking around in the kitchen with Naruto and Xin was in the shower. Another thing to add to the list of Xin's oddities was her freakish obsession with baths and showers. If she wasn't sleeping, eating, cleaning or threatening one of them, she was in the damn bathroom. Not that it inconvenienced any of them, there were two bathrooms, but he just found it quite odd.

There was a quick knock at his door before Xin poked her head in. Her hair and skin was still damp from her shower and she was dressed in shorts and a sports bra. Gaara was beginning to wonder if the woman had anything else to wear. He slid his eyes shut, willing her to just go away. "You doing okay in here?" She asked despite his eyes being closed.

"M'fine, girl," He grunted back. He heard her scoff and the door open wider. Her scent filled the room, seeping into every goddamn nook and cranny. He nearly groaned at that, throwing his arm over his nose to block out the scent. Why couldn't she just leave him the fuck alone? If he said he was fine, that wasn't an invitation to step into the room with him.

"What's with that? I thought we were on a first name basis," he could just hear the frown in her voice. "Do I just walk around calling you 'demon'? That's fuckin' rude. And I'm not even a girl anymore, goddammit, I'm a woman."

"You whine like you're a girl," Gaara pulled his arm away to peek at her face. It was twisted into a scowl and was slowly turning red. One hand rested on the slope of her hip as she regarded him with a glare.

"Fuckin' demons," She grumped, throwing her hands up. "Don't know why I even bothered," She twisted around and left the room, making sure to shut the door behind her. A smile tugged at his lips.

Xin rolled her eyes as she thumped down the stairs. She could faintly hear Naruto and Hinata in the kitchen and snorted. Naruto definitely had some sort of crush on her sister. She wasn't sure if her sister realized this but she sure as hell noticed. It didn't really bother her, maybe she was a bit uneasy about it, but Naruto was such a nice guy. Xin stopped short at the bottom of the stairs. Matsuri stood in the middle of the living room, staring her down with a tight face. Xin could only stare back at the demoness. Matsuri's gaze traveled back up the stairs before dropping back to Xin once more. She sized the smaller woman up, lip curling when she noticed her state of undress.

And then the screaming began.

Gaara sat up the minute he smelled the familiar scent of cinnamon, sand and Suna's sun. A mere second later he heard shouting and then the sound of glass shattering. For a moment he stayed in bed, contemplating his life choices before willing himself to get up. He swung the door open and was practically assaulted by the screams.

"I knew it! I knew it you filthy little liar!"

"Oi! Back the fuck up, back up you psycho!"

"Girls!"

"I will shank the shit out of you!"

"I'm going to rip your throat out you lying whore!"

"Oh please do it because I've been waiting for ya ass! I will gouge your fuckin' eyes out, say I won't!"

Gaara took his sweet time coming down the stairs, accessing the situation with nothing but annoyance. Xin and Matsuri were standing in the living room with nothing but the glass coffee table in between them. Matsuri was glaring fiercely at the shorter woman and Xin was armed with a broken shard of glass. He glanced down at the floor to see a pile of glittering glass, water and trampled flowers. He nearly groaned at the sight, knowing Xin was fully capable of reaching over and stabbing Matsuri. Hinata and Naruto stood by the doorway to the kitchen, wary of getting involved with two angry women. Hinata looked like she wanted to get involved but Naruto's hand on her wrist kept her in place.

"What the fuck is going on down here?" Gaara boomed over the shrill screeching. Their shouting ceased immediately and then all eyes were on him. Matsuri's eyes narrowed dangerously as he approached the two women.

"Explain this!" Matsuri snapped, motioning wildly to Xin. The human regarded her with an annoyed frown. "What the hell is _she_ doing here—"

"Minding my damn business!"

"—dressed like that?!"

Gaara looked quite disgruntled, not really understanding why Xin's state of dress was upsetting her. Xin looked just as confused, eyebrows sitting high on her forehead as they both stared at the angry brunette. "You said there's nothing going on between the two of you yet you two were up there by yourselves and she's barely dressed!"

"For fuck's sake."

"Oh my God."

"Matsuri, we don't have a sexual relationship."

"We _barely_ have a relationship!"

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and leaned down towards Hinata. "They're oddly in sync," He muttered into her ear. Despite the tense situation, Hinata chuckled softly.

"It doesn't make for much of an argument when they deny it like that," She commented back.

"Then explain what the hell you think you're doing here!" Matsuri snapped over their protests. Xin's temper flared, reddening her face in agitation. Her grip around the shard became tight, allowing the jagged edges to sink into her skin. Gaara's face twisted the moment he scented the coppery smell in the air.

He reached over, snatching her wrist up. The moment he touched her, the pain settled in and she unfurled her fingers. Naruto was suddenly there, thrusting a hand towel at Gaara. He pulled the shard out, letting it clatter to the coffee table and wrapped her hand, ignoring her hiss of pain. "Stupid girl," He grumbled down at her.

"I _told_ you to stop calling me that."

"Stop whining. What were going to do with that anyway?"

"Gouge her eyes out if she didn't back up."

Matsuri looked in between them, anger pouring from her dark eyes. "Excuse me!" She nearly screeched, stomping a foot. Xin and Gaara look back at her, both wearing expressions of weariness. "I want my explanation right now," She demanded in a shrill voice. She knew damn well it would be stupid to leave the two alone. That awful human had every intention of taking Gaara and she would rather die before letting that happen.

"Oh fuck your explanation," Xin spat at the brunette, clearly not in the mood. Gaara was putting pressure on the slit in her hand and it was throbbing something awful. Hinata had vanished, searching for a first aid kit and Naruto followed after her. She doubted her sister needed that much help finding the kit but kept her snide comments to herself. It was Matsuri that was pissing her off, not Naruto.

"Quiet, Xin."

"Now he knows my name."

"Stop ignoring me!"

"How could we? Ouch! Do you have to press so hard?!"

"You're _bleeding_ , you moron. Yes, I have to press hard. Shut up."

"Gaara!"

The redhead closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Xin eyed him apprehensively, hoping he wouldn't tighten his grip on her injured hand. "Matsuri," his head snapped towards the angered brunette and her fleeting temper cooled under his acid gaze. "Stop shouting. I'll deal with you in a moment."

" _Deal_?"

"Hell in a handbag, don't anger the beast."

Gaara tried hard not to snort at her words, knowing they would piss Matsuri off even more. Hinata came back with the first aid kit and Gaara quickly relinquished the woman to her sister. The two vanished into the kitchen, leaving the fuming demoness with Naruto and Gaara. "I want to speak to Gaara _alone_ ," Matsuri snapped, glaring at Naruto. If the blond was offended by her tone, he didn't show it. Instead, he threw himself to the couch.

"I'm going to overhear it anyway," He grinned impishly. He folded his arms behind his head and inclined further into the couch.

"Then go out scouting."

"And leave you here with Moon Pie and Shorty? I don't think so."

Matsuri twisted into a fierce sneer and Gaara just let out a soft sigh. "What the hell is she doing here?" Matsuri demanded hotly, hands on her hips. "You told me that you didn't care for her yet here she is. She looks quite comfortable as well!"

Gaara leveled her with a nasty look, causing her to lose some of her nerve. "Matsuri, I don't have to explain _shit_ to you. What that girl is doing here is none of your business. _Stop_ questioning me."

Matsuri frowned tightly and folded her arms across her chest. They could hear the twins in the kitchen. Hinata was lightly scolding Xin for her short temper. Hinata made a particularly dry comment, eliciting a laugh from Xin. Gaara's eyes flickered towards the kitchen, tensed shoulders slouching at the sound of her laughter. Matsuri caught the motion. "Gaara, I don't like this. I don't like this girl being around you so often. Her being here in unnecessary."

"Why?" Naruto prompted.

Matsuri sent him a scathing look but Naruto wasn't bothered by it. He outranked Matsuri by a longshot. Besides, he grew up with scarier women. Matsuri's temper tantrum didn't scare him, if anything, it was rather amusing to watch.

"Because she _clearly_ harbors a crush on him."

Naruto made a weird noise in his throat but chose not to comment. "You're being ridiculous," Gaara grumbled at her. "That girl doesn't have a crush on me. We can barely have a conversation without her threatening me."

Matsuri only seemed more agitated, it was like he had some sort of comeback to everything she said. "Damn it, Gaara, I shouldn't have to explain why this makes me so uncomfortable! I don't trust that girl around you."

"This isn't about you, Matsuri. I've told you that. We're not together, who I spend my time with and I what I do with that person is _none_ of your concern. You're testing my patience."

Whatever sort of argument she may of have died on her tongue. Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes widened in fury. She jerked away suddenly, stomping heavily towards the front door. She didn't bother offering a goodbye, violently slamming the door shut behind her. Gaara didn't have much time to gather himself when Xin poked her head out of the kitchen. She surveyed the room, realizing in satisfaction that Matsuri was gone. "Well, she's always a delight!" She sung while parading into the living room.

Hinata followed after her, shaking her head. "Don't be so antagonistic," She chided her sister, handing her the broom and dustpan. Xin simply grinned but popped a squat, sweeping the shattered glass into the dustpan.

A smile curved at her lips as she tilted her head back to peer up at him. "So, Matsuri thinks I'm going to steal your virtue?"

"Fuck off, girl."

* * *

"Alright," Naruto practically sung as he slipped into Gaara's room. "The girls are asleep," He announced, much to Gaara's confusion. "I wanted to talk to you without one of them overhearing. Xin clearly doesn't give a shit about eavesdropping."

"To be fair, Matsuri was shouting."

Naruto snorted and leaned against the door, a serious face taking over his usual jovial expression. "I'm going to ask you something important," He said in a very serious tone. Gaara leveled him with a blank stare but Naruto wasn't deterred. "Is there some truth to Matsuri's words?" He asked, watching closely for anything that could give Gaara away should he choose to lie.

The room was silent as Gaara stared at his best friend. He didn't say anything for a long time but apparently Naruto had the patience to sit and wait tonight. "Matsuri...said a lot of things."

"You like Xin?"

Gaara stilled, finding the wall rather interesting. Well, that was the million dollar question. Did he actually like that harpy? He couldn't like her, he barely knew her. She was too young and all they ever did was argue. Hell, she pulled a knife on him and he tried to strangle her more than once. That was often called abuse. But did that mean he didn't like her? He wasn't exactly sure. "I don't hate her.." He said after a moment.

Naruto was unimpressed, "Would you fuck her?"

He suddenly felt a lot like Jura when he accused the brunet of wanting to do the very same to Xin. No matter how much they bickered, he could actually admit Xin was attractive, even if her eyes were a little unsettling. She was pretty, he'd give her that. And clearly if his subconscious was projecting sexual fantasies onto him during his sleep, that meant he was attracted to her sexually as well. "If she came to me, I wouldn't reject her," He said carefully. Just because he would take her to bed didn't mean he actually _liked_ her.

"I doubt she would. That girl is ballsy but to offer something like that? Nah, she's still just a kid. Besides, she's a priestess, don't they take vows of chastity and abstain from sex?"

"I'm not going to seek her out for sex."

"But you wouldn't deny the opportunity."

"What's the point of this, Uzumaki?"

Naruto remained casual, shrugging a shoulder. "No point, I guess. I'm just curious, is all. You give that girl a lot of leeway. If your people saw how she acted towards you…"

" _I know."_

"Why do you let her get away with it then?"

Gaara let out a frustrated sigh. "Because she's fun. Because she doesn't expect anything out of me. She doesn't hound me about my responsibilities. She's funny and entertaining," He nearly spat the confession out, as if he was ashamed for feeling anything other than contempt for the priestess.

Naruto stared back at him, somewhat surprised. "She treats you like a normal person," He said after a while. "I guess I can understand that. You're...not tightly wound when she's around. You give her your full attention when she talks. Hell, if she so much as giggles, you're looking over at her."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Gaara asked warily. A large part of him didn't want Naruto to answer. He had an idea what he was going to say.

"You obviously like her."

" _Obviously_? I'm not some lovesick idiot."

Naruto only held up his hands, grinning sheepishly. "I didn't say that, man. It's alright."

"It's not alright, Uzumaki. She's a human priestess. She's a kid. I _don't_ like her."

"And you don't hate her either."

Gaara didn't bother to reply, stubbornly looking away. "I'm not going to think bad of you just because you might have a little crush on a human girl. I can see how you would like her, she treats you normally. Maybe...it wouldn't be so bad to pursue her.."

The redhead barked a dry laugh. "When this is all over, that girl will be dead," He stated lowly. Naruto only replied with a confused face. "She's being hunted by Masuyo. I think she intends to simply give up for Hinata's sake."

"Masuyo?" Naruto parroted, knowing the name. "..that's the mystic, isn't it? The one Rasa and my father were friends with in their youth?"

It took Gaara quite some time to realize why the name Masuyo sounded so familiar. He could vaguely remember the white haired woman being there throughout his childhood. His mother was never fond of the woman and would keep her children from the woman. And then her health began to decline. Strange. Gaara nodded, telling Naruto the strange story Xin wove for him. It surprised Naruto that Xin trusted Gaara so easily to tell him the story. Hinata hadn't breathed a word about what was going on to him. Maybe it was a testament of how much Xin trusted Gaara. Or maybe Hinata just didn't have enough trust in him.

A heavy and weird feeling settled in Naruto's chest. He shifted almost uncomfortably and sighed. "Mom never did like Masuyo much."

"Neither did my mother. Apparently they were right to dislike her. The woman is batshit."

"Seriously. All of this over some guy? He sounds like a real asshole either way. Both of them want her for their own selfish reasons that Xin isn't even responsible for," Naruto said thoughtfully, rubbing at his chin. "You...you won't let that happen."

Gaar shifted uncomfortably, wishing Naruto would just shut the hell up already. Xin made it clear that there was no need for him to get involved with the situation. She made it clear that she wasn't depending on him to save her. It was clear that she had every intentions of letting Masuyo have her revenge, whenever that may be. Naruto was right. Xin wasn't responsible for Kuraim falling in love and being rejected by Jun. The older miko was the one to retaliate and seal him away. Masuyo was ignored because of Jun. It all led back to a dead woman. Xin was willing to take the fall not only for some long-dead woman but her equally innocent sister.

"No, I don't think I will."

* * *

"Are you alright?"

Karin and Tenten practically stormed into the townhouse on the fifth night of the twins' stay. Hinata was busy down at the bakery and Naruto and Gaara were out scouting. Naruto reassured Xin that they would walk Hinata home when her shift was finished. Xin only blinked at them, wondering what the fuss was about. "I'm fine," She said with a wry smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you're rooming with a psychopath," Karin deadpanned. "Where the hell is he, anyway? He's supposed to be watching you."

"I'm not four years old, Karin. I don't need a babysitter," Xin rolled her eyes. "He went out with Naruto. They're going to get Hinata on the way back."

Karin huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Let me be the first to say that I don't like this at all," She stated firmly.

"You've said that about a million times, Karin."

"And I'll say it a million and one more time. I. Don't. Like. This."

Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose. She didn't bring Karin over here to argue. "Karin, enough. We didn't come here to bicker. We came here to—what happened to your hand?" She stopped short, concern in her eyes. Xin frowned at Tenten and glanced down at her hand, realizing it was still wrapped. It was aching and she hadn't been allowed to do much once Anko and Gai caught wind of the injury.

"What did he do?" Karin snatched Xin's hand up, flipping it to stare down at the slightly red bandage.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Xin rolled her eyes for the second time. "He didn't do a damn thing but pull the shard out. It was my fault. I was threatening Matsuri and I got angry."

"Xin, please stop threatening demons," Tenten sighed heavily, pinching her nose again. She was surprised there wasn't a bruise forming across the bridge. "At least until you can actually purify them."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Tenten threw her hands up but snorted in good nature. "Give me your hand, you awful priestess."

"Fuck you, Sailor Moon."

Tenten laughed softly as she undid the soiled bandage. She tutted at the jagged slice, another scar to add to her collection. Her collection of scars were beginning to grow, she noted uneasily. Her chocolate brown eyes sought out that long jagged scar carved into her forearm. Tenten found herself wincing. Xin was far too reckless. "So, what, you guys are just here playing house?" Karin spoke up, shattering the lighthearted bickering. Xin's light smile dropped, the corner of her lips pulling down as she turned to Karin.

"Maybe we are. Gaara likes to be Daddy."

"Oh God, can we not?" Tenten scowled, concentration faltering because of her disgust.

"This isn't a joke, Hyuga!"

"Your attitude is a fuckin' joke, Uzumaki. Chill out. You've always been difficult but lately you're just being downright unbearable. If you want to be so damn miserable, go the hell home. I haven't seen you guys in damn there a week and the first shit out of your mouth is negativity."

An awkward silence fell over the three women. "I'm just worried about you," Karin said after a long stretch of silence.

"Helluva way to show it, Renamon. Listen, no one likes the situation, okay? No one. But we're working with what we've got. You either need to settle your beef with Gaara or keep your distance. We've got enough going on, we don't need this awful ass attitude you keep projecting onto us," Xin continued to scold the redhead. Karin didn't have an immediate reply but Xin wasn't looking for one. There was no arguing this case. Whether Karin liked it or not, Gaara was involved. He was looking out for Xin and Hinata when he really didn't have to. Why, that was anyone's guess. There was obviously some saving grace about her if Gaara was willing to help her.

And honestly, it was nice having both him and Naruto acting as a shroud against the demons. She wasn't as worried since rooming with them, it was actually a relief. On top of the protection, the two were open about Demonic mythology. They answered any question the twins could think up about the Demon World.

Karin's jaw tightened before she let out a slow sigh. "Fine, Hyuga, fine. But you have to promise to take your heritage more seriously. You're not working hard enough to tap into it. You won't need Gaara or anyone of us so much once you get the hang of it. I'll try not to be so negative and you try harder."

"Alright, Renamon. I'm only agreeing because you chilling out has to be as hard as me trying to control my spiritual ability."

"Shut the hell up. And stop it with the fox nicknames!"

"Never! At least Renamon is cool!"

"Not helping!"

Tenten only smiled pleasantly, expertly ignoring the bickering. She missed this. For a moment, it was just like before. Xin and Karin bickering while she simply sat and listened to them, offering nothing but chuckles at the well thought out and creative insults. She truly missed her friends and it brought her back to their high school days.

The two stayed with Xin late into the evening. Naruto, Gaara and Hinata returned around ten, somewhat surprised to see the trio getting along so well. It was a rarity to see the trio getting along these days, it seemed like all they did was angrily bicker now. But Xin and Tenten sat on the floor of the living room, Xin nursing a ball of spiritual energy while Tenten coached her to feed it more strength. Karin kept her distance but offered whispers of encouragement every time Xin faltered.

A great big grin pulled at Xin's lips as the energy expended. She spread her hands wider to accommodate it's growing girth. Her face light up in absolute delight at the sight, truly amazed and proud with what she could do if she just concentrated. Nice as it was to see her succeeding, her ability to conjure up a large spiritual ball of energy began to weigh on the three demons. Their stomach began to roil uncomfortably and Karin visibly began to sweat.

Xin finally noticed Naruto, Gaara and Hinata. Her concentration broken, the big ball flickered and then trickled back into her hands. She didn't seem upset about it, jumping up to hurry towards them. "Did you guys see that? Who's the awful priestess now?" She crowed, stopping in front of them. She was so happy, it seemed like she would start bouncing any minute. Gaara nearly grimaced at the thought.

"That would still be you," Gaara grunted.

Either Xin was entirely used to Gaara or she simply wasn't letting him get her riled up because she continued to grin. "You'll be the first one I purify."

"I doubt it'll come to that. You'll hit me with a car again before purifying me."

"But I don't have a car anymore."

"Exactly."

Xin let out a snort and waved his comment away. "It's late and I forgot to cook. Are you guys staying?" She glanced over her shoulder, inviting Karin and Tenten back into the conversation. The two glanced at one another before silently agreeing to stay. They watched with morbid fascination as Naruto and Gaara followed the twins into the kitchen. Karin and Tenten opted to wait in the dining room, out of the way. They could clearly see into the kitchen and what they saw..well..it was rather odd.

Xin and Hinata worked in perfect unison, which wasn't a surprise. The two were complete opposites in personality, like night and day, but hell if they weren't on the same wavelength. That wasn't odd, they were used to what they dubbed as 'twin magic'. What was odd was how in sync Gaara and Naruto were to them. It was small gestures, such as Gaara reaching for something Xin was struggling to reach in one of the cabinets. Or Naruto, wordlessly packing ingredients away when Hinata was through with them. Hell, it was Naruto and Xin lightly bickering and Gaara and Hinata teaming up to bring their bickering back down.

Karin leaned over towards Tenten, slightly knocking into her shoulder. "Tenten," She uttered carefully, knowing Gaara and Naruto could easily pick up on her words if they paid them any mind. Luckily, their attention was monopolized. "Does this seem…"

"Weird?" Tenten asked softly, chocolate brown eyes clocking their every movement. She nodded slowly, somewhat uncomfortable with what she was witnessing. Of course she was glad that they were getting along well but maybe they were getting along too well? She directly watched Gaara, eyes narrowed. He probably would have noticed all of her staring but he was too busy preoccupied with watching Xin. It was like he was studying her, committing her face and entire body to memory. Tenten had to wonder what the hell had gone on for the past few days to suddenly change so drastically. The last time she paid them any mind, Xin and Gaara were at one another throats and Naruto and Hinata were politely tolerating one another. Now they moved as if they were friends.

That wasn't right.

Before they could say much else, dinner was finished. It was simple curry, quick and easy but still delicious. They cluttered around the table, Xin sitting next to Gaara and Hinata next to Naruto. The seating arrangements didn't go by unnoticed but Karin and Tenten kept the comments to themselves. They discussed Hinata's insane professors and shift down at the bakery. Gaara and Naruto talked about the two demons they encountered in a seedy neighborhood and even Karin shared tidbits of her day. Xin didn't have much to say since she'd been stuck indoors all day.

"I haven't been able to get over to your apartment yet," Tenten spoke up, looking apologetic. "You'll have to stay here for a bit longer, if that's alright," She turned more towards Gaara and Naruto, knowing it was ultimately up to them to let the girls stay longer than planned.

Naruto shrugged a careless shoulder. "That's fine with us," He grinned widely. "Who's gonna turn two pretty girls like them down? Besides, their food is great."

Tenten looked towards Gaara, as if she knew he would have something negative. He felt her gaze on him, opening his eyes to return the stare coolly. "What?"

"Are you alright with it?" She pressed curiously. She wasn't exactly sure what she would do if he said no. He had as much say as Naruto.

"If they're fine with it," Gaara answered tonelessly.

"That's not really what she asked you," Xin hummed with a slight smile. He didn't give her a verbal reply, opting to snort loudly. Xin took that as answer, chuckling softly before going back to her food.

Karin and Tenten wondered what the hell was so funny. The two left soon after dinner was finished. The women exchanged goodbyes, Naruto simply waved and Gaara let out a grunt before turning and stalking away. Karin and Tenten didn't speak until they were several blocks away, safely out of earshot. "Okay, I know I agreed to chill out but there's no way in Hell you can convince me that what we just witnessed was _normal!_ "

"Karin…"

"Noo!" Karin waved her arms in protest. "You can't, Tenten, you can't! Something is going on in that townhouse and I don't like it."

"You don't like anything," Tenten reminded her sourly. "You agreed to chill out."

"That was before I stepped into the goddamn Twilight Zone! Tenten, you can't tell me that was normal."

"They're getting along, what's wrong with that?" Tenten sighed heavily, already fed up with the conversation. So Gaara and Xin were getting along well. Wasn't that a good thing? Karin was always going on and on about how Gaara could potentially hurt Xin. Not that Tenten blamed the redhead, the two didn't have the greatest track record beforehand.

"Gaara is and always will be a psychopath," Karin stated firmly, pink lips twisting in disapproval. "I don't want him around Xin anymore than necessary. We have to get her apartment ready."

"You mean _I_ have to."

"Well, you're the Dragon Magician."

"Go home."

* * *

Despite Tenten healing her hand, Xin still couldn't return to work. It would be hard to explain how the wound healed so quickly. So she was left behind at the townhouse while Gaara and Naruto went out hunting and Hinata went to classes and work. She was going stir-crazy. Naruto and Gaara warned her not to go wandering off by herself when they were busy. Their influence was a big help in keeping the two safe but there was only so much it could do. Some demons may want to try their luck. She was just going to head over to the apartment and grab some more things for herself and Hinata. They were staying longer than originally planned and they needed more clothes.

The apartment was still in a disarray when she arrived. Cringing, she studied the ruined coffee table and couch. Couches were so expensive to replace, she lamented. Dried blood, her own blood, streaked the floor. Her eye twitched at that. Blood was so hard to get out. Sighing heavily she hurried to her and Hinata's room, packing the necessary things they would need for their extended stay. Xin could not believe the odd turn her life had taken. She often found herself comparing her life to manga or television shows. "Why couldn't it be like _Yu-Gi-Oh_ or something?" She grumbled to herself. "Or _Tokyo Ghoul._..hmm..maybe not T _okyo Ghoul._ "

Xin's ramblings ceased the minute she stepped out of Hinata's room. Ice froze in veins as she stared out into the living room. She wasn't alone. Masuyo stared back at Xin, a thin smile gracing her lips. Her thick hair was pulled away from her face and she swathed in dark robes. She looked highly irritated, which didn't surprise Xin at all. Masuyo raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the younger woman. "You're much smaller in person."

Xin bristled at the comment, forgetting that this woman wanted to kill her. "Does that fuckin' matter?" She snapped at the demoness.

"I suppose not," Masuyo shrugged leisurely. Her smile didn't falter as she began to move towards Xin. The smaller woman took a careful step backwards, slowly dropping the packed bag.

This could not be good.

* * *

Gaara was having a relatively slow day. That didn't really surprise him, mornings and afternoons were always slow. Demons tended to cause havoc during the night. But even so, Naruto and Gaara still went out just in case just something did happen and the others weren't able to react as quickly. It gave him time to think things over. Nothing heavy in particular, most of the time. Usually he thought of Suna, his siblings and whether his mother was recovering or not. Sometimes he thought of Rasa and Matsuri and if he should return to Suna.

But he mostly thought about that damn priestess.

Like, for instance, the fact that she would be staying longer than originally agreed. And it didn't really bother him but he wasn't content with it either. It wasn't like Xin did much to actually bother him, he couldn't be upset with her for _existing._ Besides, this was mostly his fault. Had he just minded his damn business after first meeting her, he wouldn't be in this mess. Oh no, he just _had_ to know what the hell her deal was. He should've just went on his merry little way.

Because now he was having dreams about her and her fuckin' scent was intoxicating and he could barely think about anything else but her. Naruto wasn't making shit better by asking stupid ass questions that actually made him stop to reevaluate his life choices. And fucking Jura. This all started with him and _his_ stupid ass questions. He hadn't seen his friend in awhile but he was going to make damned sure to punch him in the mouth when he popped up next. He didn't have feelings for Xin. First of all, he was a grown ass man and grown ass men didn't have _feelings_. Well, at least _he_ didn't. Men like him, awful, terrible violent, men didn't get to have feelings for women like her.

For _very_ young human priestesses. That sentence alone should motivate him to get his shit together. And honestly, just because he found the stupid girl attractive didn't mean anything had to come from it. He firmly told himself that it meant nothing.

The rest of their day, for once, was relatively boring. He could honestly say the highlight was when they dropped by the bakery for Hinata. She seemed happy to see them, armed with a parcel of desserts for the four of them. He threw her glances every now and then, studying her appearance. Hinata and Xin were twin sisters so obviously they shared their unearthly beauty. They shared the same build, hell, even the same hairstyle. There was no denying the resemblance between the two girls but Hinata didn't invade his mind like her sister did. And yet, they couldn't be anymore different from one another if possible. Their personalities were complete opposite and even the way they carried themselves were vastly different.

When it came down to it, Hinata was the more likeable, suitable sister. She was easy to get along with, feminine and nonviolent. Anyone would be insane not to be attracted to the more demure sister. But all he felt was a friendly indifference to her. He didn't have any inappropriate dreams about her nor did her scent drive him up a wall.

This was alarming.

"I wonder if Xin started cooking," Hinata hummed pleasantly as they climbed the front stairs. Neither of them replied, having an odd feeling settle over them as they stepped into the townhouse. It was quiet. When they came back, Xin was either watching television, listening to music or making noise in the kitchen. It was almost painfully obvious that Xin was not there. Hinata quickly toed off her shoes and bounded off into the townhouse, searching for her sister. Gaara and Naruto shared a silent look. Nothing was amiss. No foreign demonic smells, no blood spilled, no Hyuga Xin.

"She isn't answering her phone," Hinata came back moments later, clutching her phone tightly. Her wide eyes darted back and forth between them. Naruto and Gaara shared yet another silent look. "Should I call Tenten or Karin?" She asked quietly, chewing her bottom lip.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "If she were with either of them, she would have answered," He stated, grimacing when the statement caused Hinata to panic. "Hinata, calm down. We're going to go out and look for her, okay? It won't be hard to look for her," He approached the panicked woman.

"Stay here with Hinata. It won't do us any good to leave her by herself. I'll go find her. She was probably going stir-crazy," Gaara said after a moment. Before either could say much else, he turned around and quickly left.

A million things could have happened to that damn woman. She was told specifically not to go wandering off by herself and what does she go and do? Wander off by herself. She could've at least told Hinata she was going somewhere. That girl refused to listen and no wonder her friends were always yelling at her. While it was true that his and Naruto's influence would help keep the majority of the demons away, some demons would test their luck. What's worse is that Masuyo would definitely try her luck with the off chance of Xin being by herself.

God, if anything happened to that girl, Karin would never shut the fuck up.

Two familiar scents suddenly caught his attention. He followed after it, scowling suspiciously when he was led to the twins' apartment. The apartment was in the same disarray they left it in, broken furniture and dried blood but he could hear muttered urgings. He stepped further into the apartment, finding Jura hunched over on the floor by the bedrooms. His shoulders tightened and he slowly peeked over his shoulder, frowning up at Gaara. It was quiet as the two regarded one another. Xin was sprawled out in front of Jura, unconscious with with an almost serene expression. If it hadn't been for the obvious worry rolling off of Jura, it could have been assumed that Xin was just napping.

But she wasn't just napping and Gaara felt a burst of.. _something_ in his chest. The irritation he felt for her vanishing quickly vanished, replaced with something so undeniably heavy he can't find words to explain it.

"I..I don't know what happened. I just had this weird feeling to come here and I found her like this. There was someone here, I can smell it. It smells….wrong."

Gaara scented the air, smelling something distinctly malicious in the air. It smelled familiar but he just couldn't figure out why. He almost smelled something pure in the air and had to wonder if Xin tried to fight off whoever had been in the apartment. The tall redhead approached the two, peering over Jura's hunched form into her face. She looked relatively unharmed but something told him that she was anything but unharmed. "Move," He grunted, dropping into a crouch over her. Jura had no choice but to move out of the way, frowning all the while. Gaara slipped his hands under her, sitting her up and propping her against his knee.

He secured her lulling head by her chin, careful not to grip too hard lest he wanted to draw blood. "Xin," He called in a firm voice, trying to coax her out of the odd slumber. He shook her, not too hard to severely jostle her, but enough that her eyes started to twitch under her lids. He kept at it until her lids finally began to pull back, revealing cloudy pale eyes.

If waking up to him surprised her, she didn't show it. In fact, her expression didn't change from the dreamy look it had taken. She stared up at him, lids only halfway opened. Rose tinted lips dropped open partially but no sound came out. She continued to stare up at him, trapped in a drugged state. "Oh.." She finally managed to say, quite lamely. "You don't look a thing like Jesus," She muttered quietly, confusing him. "It's you," She managed to slur, lips seeming too heavy for her at the moment. "It's always you."

He wasn't sure he liked what she was implying. "Xin, what happened to you? What happened here?" He asked instead, ignoring that funny feeling that burned against his ribcage anytime he was in her presence.

"I…I don't know. I can't remember. What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, you moron."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because you weren't there when we came back," He answered slowly, like he was dealing with a curious child. She stared up at him, still clearly out of it. An almost sleepy smile formed on her pretty mouth. Her lids flickered for a moment.

"Funny," She murmured, eyes finally catching Jura. "Oh, Jura, hello," She offered her sleepy smile to him. He returned her smile but was still obviously concerned. Realizing he was still holding her by the chin, Gaara let go to slide his hands under her for a second time. He wordlessly picked her up, knowing she was too goddamn out of it to walk on her own. Xin didn't protest, looping her slim arms around his neck easily. She was becoming a bit too accustomed to being carried by him. Her grip on him was lazy but she turned her face into his neck, lips brushing against his throat. Gaara nearly dropped her but managed to keep his hold on the dazed miko.

Gaara paused, looking at Jura. He was confused, which wasn't a surprise, but he also looked...bothered. Gaara frowned tightly, remembering his promise to punch Jura in the face. Too bad his arms were full of a delirious miko.

Next time, he promised.

* * *

A portal formed, spitting out a pale faced Masuyo. She nearly hit the ground, catching herself against a tree before she could go down. The smell of burnt flesh followed as she stumbled through the forest, nearly tripping in her haste to just get to her cottage.

She was going to completely murder that holy bitch.

She wasn't sure where the power stemmed from but Xin had caught her by the arms as Masuyo closed in on her. It was obvious Xin couldn't control her power, evident by the shock in her eyes when her hands began to glow against Masuyo's arms. The burning began at a slow, gradual, pace until it was unbearably hot against her arms. The burning continued even after she yanked herself from that damn miko, pure energy trailing upward towards her shoulders. The burning stopped there, the energy dying out but still leaving her arms smoldering and nearly falling off. Masuyo retaliated, gritting through the pain, to wave her hands towards Xin. Dark energy flew at Xin, knocking her clear off of her feet. Masuyo made her escape then, not bothering to look back as the portal swallowed her up.

The demonic mystic threw the door to the cottage open, lumbering in with difficulty. Her arms and shoulders literally felt like they were on fire. She fell to the floor in an undignified heap, silver hair spilling uncontrollably down her shoulders. She hissed as the thick strands fell against the festering burns and violently swept them back. Her hands began glowing, dark energy encasing them. She nearly screamed when she pressed a glowing hand to her shoulder, attempting to stop the burning. The dark energy attacked the light energy digging into her skin, twisting and coiling around the energy until it began to die out. She was able to stop the burning but her upper arms and shoulders would permanently carry scars. They looked positively awful and she wanted to just wring that girl's neck! She got up to do just that, staggering as she did so, only to pause when her mirror began to rattle.

She did not need this right now.

Masuyo snatched the mirror up, still grimacing as pain continued to radiate from her burns. The mirror continued to tremble before Kuraim appeared, grinning as usual. "Masuyo, there you are—what happened to your shoulders?"

Masuyo's face nearly turned red. "That damn miko happened," She snapped, wishing she could just kill those damn girls already. Hell, at this point, she didn't even care about Junko's reincarnation. It was just Jun's reincarnation she needed to kill. It was always _Jun._

"Interesting, I didn't suspect she would reawaken her spirituality," Kuraim commented offhandedly, not at all concerned for Masuyo's well-being. "Jun was always so talented in close combat versus Junko," He rubbed at his chin, still grinning at the while. It seemed painful. "However, I'm contacting you to tell you that the seal will break any day now. I expect you to be quite prepared when it finally does."

Masuyo tried not to grit her teeth in agitation. "Of course, my dear."

"And do something about those ugly scars, would you?"

Oh, the nerve.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Gaara is going through it and Xin is the only one to blame. We still don't know how Xin feels but like I said, she's kind of stupid. Renamon is also based on a fox. She's a Digimon from Digimon Tamers, the third season. I know Pokemon was always more popular but growing up I actually liked Digimon better. Well season 1-4, I wasn't feeling 5 or 6 but whatever.

Akari: Well, your perverted little heart is gonna love what's been brewing in my mind. WinkWink. For some reason, I can really see him just staring at her and trying to make her understand his crush on her. And then getting annoyed with her because Xin is an oblivious idiot.

EmoTaco101: Xin is a straight asshole, to be honest, don't be like her. I mean, I guess her living her life the way she wants to is admirable. Be like that. Even I don't know how she feels about him and I'm writing the story, lol. Sometimes she's a hard character to write. And I'm glad you like NaruHina! And thank you, they're all kind of hard to write sometimes. Gaara is definitely the demonic knight in shining armor, to hell with what Karin says. Thank you!

Curlystruggle: Naruto is down for whatever, that ride-or-die friend we all need.

Marinaa07: I wanted Gaara to be the dark character in SOC but Xin was more funnier to write as that sort of character. Imma let yall in on secret, I totally have a kink for stories with dark love interest, dunno why. But they're made for one another, never mind the fact that she's an OC lol. It probably is a little sadistic to love the relationship between Jura and Xin but I'm the one who came up with it so that makes me sadist as well. Oh well lol. Thank you, I always enjoy your reviews.

BOSS02109: We stan an idiotic Xin, that's what we stan. Gotta love her though.

Moonlight46: Gaara is about sick of Karin's shit. It's only going to get worse for those two, honestly. It is funny that Xin's so damn oblivious to Gaara crushing on her but can tell Naruto is crushing on her sister. She's a true idiot. I'm glad you were satisfied with the warning too!

Allree: Yall are so fucking nice to me, I swear to God. Every time I post a chapter, I freak out but then yall come with these nice reviews and praises and it makes me so happy. Thank you so much for enjoying my story and its banter and sass.

Savage Kill: Gaara would rather die than to admit what he's truly feeling. Naruto is the only exception to this rule.


	14. How the mighty fall

Watching Hinata scold and berate a dazed Xin was rather interesting to watch. They could tell she was trying to listen to her sister's fussing but it was obvious she was having trouble keeping up with the words flying from Hinata's mouth.

"You can't even remember what happened, for Buddha's sake!" Hinata planted her hands on her hips, staring down at her disoriented sister. When Gaara came through the door, carrying Xin once more, she immediately assumed the worst. After all, the last time he'd been carrying her around, Xin had a chunk of their coffee table lodged in her back.

"Xin hasn't said a word in twenty minutes," Naruto said once Hinata took a moment to breathe. "I'm somewhat worried. Maybe we should call Tenten? Or Xiurong."

Gaara watched as Hinata went on another rant. It was quite odd that Xin hadn't made a peep in twenty minutes. She still had that stupid sleepy look slapped onto her face. "Perhaps if she's still as dazed tomorrow, we'll call them."

Naruto nodded, agreeing with the idea. Besides, calling Tenten meant the Enchantress would tell Suigetsu, Neji and Karin. He could deal with Sui and Neji but hell if he would have that harpy of a redhead over here accusing him of eating Xin's soul or some shit. It was late and he couldn't guarantee not attacking the redheaded Uzumaki.

"Oi, Moon Pie?" Naruto interrupted Hinata's rant. She paused, glancing over her shoulder at him. "How about we all get some rest? Maybe Xin'll feel better in the morning and remember something."

Hinata's shoulders slumped but she nodded solemnly. "Oh, alright. But I'm not finished with you. The minute you snap out of it, I'm going to continue yelling at you," She said down to her sister. "Now let's get you to bed."

The dazed woman clambered to her feet, swaying as she did so. Gaara reached out, gripping her by her bicep to keep her from spilling over. He frowned slightly, feeling as if something dark was itching underneath her skin. He thought to question her about it but decided not to. Xin made it clear she couldn't remember shit.

"Come on before you fall over again," He grunted, pulling her towards the staircase. Xin easily followed, feet seemingly too heavy for her. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase, head leaning back slowly to stare up at them. Gaara watched her, rolling his eyes when she didn't move for a good three minutes.

Xin didn't offer one protest when he swept her up for the second time in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck like clockwork, smiling lazily at Naruto and Hinata. "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus but he talks like a gentlemen," She sung, uncurling one hand from his neck to wave at them.

"You know, Naruto calls my sister Moon Pie," Xin hummed as Gaara eased the bedroom door open. Gaara only grunted, practically assaulted by her scent. "Why don't you call me something like that?" She murmured against his neck, breath tickling his flesh.

"Naruto is an idiot with a crush on your sister," Gaara replied plainly, stopping at the edge of the bed. He suddenly had very inappropriate, nasty, thoughts involving the bed, him and the deluded miko in his arms. Banishing those traitorous thoughts, he nearly threw her down. But he stopped at the last second, it would probably disorient her even more.

"Oh," Xin hummed again as he set her on the edge of the bed. She didn't relinquish her hold around his neck. He pulled back just enough to stare into her face, frowning at the still dazed expression she wore.

"Let go."

She smiled very slowly at him. "Do you have a crush?"

He sent her a scathing look but it bounced off of her airy attitude with ease. "No, you silly miko, I do not have a crush."

"Oh," She answered simply, arms still coiled around his neck. "That's too bad. I hear they're quite nice, if they work out well. Maybe that's what you need. Maybe you should talk things out with Matsuri."

"I'd rather not."

"Matsuri could make you happy if you just gave her a chance."

Gaara continued to frown at her, wondering if she was still dazed. By her expression, it would seem so. At this point, she was just speaking nonsense, he amended. She didn't know what the hell she was talking about. She needed to go to bed already.

Ignoring her statement, he reached up to pry her little hands from his neck. "You need to sleep, Xin," He said in a serious tone. Xin stared back at him, lazily smiling. She nodded and pulled her hands away, shifting away. Before he could stop her, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it right over her head.

Gaara backed away like he'd be scalded. He stared down at the now topless miko, trying to focus on her face and not her breasts. "Xin," He snapped through gritted teeth when she reached up for a second time, this time her hands were behind her back.

"Hm?"

"What the hell are you doing?" He leaned down, snatching her hands away from the clasp of her bra. She only blinked up at him, half lidded eyes blank.

"You said go to bed. I'm going."

"Why are you undressing?"

"Have _you_ ever slept in a bra? It's not comfortable, let go," She didn't even try to pull away from him, blinking slowly. He only continued to stare down at her, trying his damned hardest to keep his gaze above her chin.

Gaara prided himself on being a strong man. But he was at an odd point in his life and Xin was even odder and that damn dream—

His eyes dropped below her chin, settling on her breasts wrapped tightly in black fabric.

Gaara turned sharply, nearly jerking Xin forward. He let go of her wrists, nearly throwing her backwards. "Wait until I leave the room," He ordered gruffly, looking everywhere but at the sleepy miko.

"Are you alright?"

" _I'm fine."_

He felt, rather than saw, Xin raise her hand towards him. It was time to get the fuck up out of there. Now. He had to go. Now. Whatever was brewing in her empty head wasn't going to end well for him. The entire situation wasn't going to end well for him. He had to get away from her. Xin didn't stop him as he practically fled from the room, slamming the door behind him. She stared emptily at the door before shrugging her shoulders. With nothing else to stop her, she unclasped her bra and promptly went to bed.

* * *

A splitting headache woke Xin well into the afternoon. She opened her mouth, emitting a pitiful whine before rolling over onto her stomach. "Why...why am I naked?" She asked herself, pressing her hands against her breasts.

Xin forced herself out of bed and over to the closet, blindly pulling clothes out. Not giving a damn that she was topless, she stumbled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. By the time she nearly fell out of the shower, the headache had eased up only slightly. She stared into her reflection, blinking hard and rubbing her face. Slowly she got dressed, pulling on the shorts and tank top carefully. She had no plans of going out today and dressed accordingly for her day indoors. Where it was safe.

Xin expected the townhouse to be empty but came to a screeching halt at the sight of Gaara sitting in the living room. His arms were folded across his chest and he had this oddly thoughtful look across his face. She took a moment to study the demon, headache receding even more. Memories suddenly came rushing back, of Masuyo, waking up and being carried home by Gaara, Hinata ranting, Gaara taking her to bed and—oh dear God. She stripped in front of him. She tried to take her _bra_ off in front of him.

Xin could literally feel her soul just dying.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

Gaara was looking straight at her, none the wiser to her mental breakdown. Trying to salvage her dignity, she continued down the stairs and towards him. Slowly she settled down on the other end of the couch, knees folded underneath her. "Um," She began lamely, clearly embarrassed. "Thank you, for last night.."

"It's becoming a habit to save you," Gaara replied after a long moment. He watched in interest as her face flushed but she quickly ducked her head. Her hair fell over her face, momentarily hiding her away.

"I'm..uh...I'm sorry about last night. I don't know what the hell was wrong with me. I shouldn't have tried to strip in front of you."

"You were out of it."

Xin only nodded along to his words. "Well, lucky for me that you have morals and you aren't attracted to me," She snorted at the thought but paused when she realized he wasn't laughing along with her. Hell, his face hadn't even budge.

He steadily avoided her gaze but Xin didn't seem to care. She continued to stare at him in an awkward silence. After several minutes, he decided to break the odd tension hanging over them. "Do you remember what happened when you went to your apartment?"

Desperate to change and get rid of the awkward silence, Xin readily nodded. "I just wanted some more clothes for us since we're staying longer," She said quickly, trying to defend her actions. Clearly she was used to being scolded. "Masuyo was there. She came at me and I grabbed her by the arms..I...purified her."

He gave her a look of surprise. "I didn't kill her though. She knocked me over with her own energy and I passed out. I woke up and there you were. And Jura…" Xin shifted her legs from underneath her, pulling her knees to her chest to wrap her arms around them.

"You could have been killed."

Xin stiffened at his words, a hard frown ruining her face. She didn't immediately reply to him. "So? What do you care?" She asked in a toneless voice. She wasn't trying to be an asshole about it or anything, it was an honest question. Why did he care whether she lived or died?

Apparently it was the wrong question to ask because Gaara shot up to his feet. His eyes narrowed disdainfully down at her. Xin didn't react to his sudden movements, barely reclining her head to look up at him. "I don't," He snapped. "I don't care whether you live or die," He continued almost hatefully. Xin only slightly raised her eyebrows at him.

"Then what's the point of _this_?" She asked, uncurling one arm to motion around them.

Gaara stared down at her, eyes blazing. "You're a source of entertainment," He spat evilly. Xin's eyes flickered and her jaw tensed. She broke the staring contest between them, looking away with a drawn look on her face. "You're more trouble than you're worth."

If her feelings were hurt, she did a wonderful job hiding it. "I didn't ask you to do any of this," She suddenly said, voice barely above a whisper. And Goddammit, she was right. She hadn't asked him to do any of this. In fact, she encouraged him to leave her be, to just go about his business. She didn't expect anything of him, she never expected anything of him.

And no matter how many times he told himself to do just that, to leave this girl, he just couldn't do it. He was sure that if the they weren't staying at the townhouse, he'd find some reason to be around her. Naruto said it, he wasn't as tightly wound when she was around.

Gaara glared. Xin stared.

She was waiting for the backlash, for acidic words and cruel threats. He could see the way she tensed up and how guarded her expression became. Her actions only caused his anger to spike dramatically. His energy came out in droves, threatening to choke her. The angry energy wrapped around her throat, seeping through the seam of lips and clogging her throat.

Something undeniably pure surged up from deep within her. It wasn't particularly strong but it was enough to twist at his angry energy, burning holes as it chewed at it. The minute he felt their energies twisting, his sense jumpstarted him. His dark energy receded, tendrils of hers tracing after it. Xin let out a ragged breath, nearly sagging over in relief. A weight heavy as a sinking stone settled in his stomach, causing him to lose that scathing look in his eyes. Xin didn't notice, too busy trying to pull herself together.

Gaara didn't bother to ask if she was alright, not that she really expected him to do so in the first place. She didn't try to stop him when he turned sharply from her. She only watched with weary eyes as he vanished in the form of a swirling portal, balmy winds native to Suna blowing at her hair. You

* * *

When it came down to it, Naruto rarely got involved in other people's relationships. He mostly just watched from the sidelines, offering commentary when he could, but he mostly stayed out of it. Relationships were messy things and while they had their pros, he tended to stay far from them.

That included his friend's relationships.

Romantic endeavors were tricky things and could potentially ruin a perfectly good friendship if things didn't succeed. Naruto didn't like to see things like that because he hated seeing any of his friends upset. He also hated picking sides.

Except for the epic adventure of Sasuke and Sakura getting together. _That,_ he had to meddle in because his friends were nearly clueless and after awhile, it just wasn't funny anymore.

But..anyway..the point remained that Naruto didn't involve himself in disastrous relationships. Especially Gaara's relationships. Sure, he didn't necessarily agree with Gaara and Matsuri being together but it was Gaara's choice to pursue the brunette. As long as he was complacent, Naruto couldn't say much.

And really, he had nothing against Matsuri or anything. She was mostly a nice demoness. But she was rather...obedient, even so, if Gaara was satisfied with the relationship, Naruto was glad to mind his business.

And then Xin came along.

Xin had to be the oddest woman he'd ever come across. He lived for a long time and met a colorful array of different women but Xin stood out in her own special way. He wasn't sure if it was her fairytale-like beauty, her rare heritage or her quirky personality, but Xin stood out.

Maybe it was her odd ability to keep up with Gaara, of all demons, but that girl wasn't normal. For one, normal humans didn't attack demons with knives and mops and their cars. Normal humans didn't allow demons into their home and they certainly didn't willingly stay in a demon's presence.

Xin was an oddity but what's worse was the fixation Gaara had. As much as the redhead may try to deny and ignore it, he was harboring _something_ for Xin.

It was interesting to watch and though it was rather sadistic of him, Naruto enjoyed Matsuri's temper tantrum. But still, the woman was right to be worried. Not necessarily about Xin. At the most, Xin was attracted to Gaara. She might have been unaware of it but Naruto caught her staring at Gaara several times throughout the day. Sometimes she stared a little too hard at the wide width of his shoulders or his arms or just his face.

She may not necessarily like Gaara but she was attracted to him.

But even so, Matsuri shouldn't accuse Xin of harbouring a crush on Gaara because she simply wasn't. At least not yet. In actual reality, Gaara was the one harbouring the crush. Maybe he wasn't aware of it or maybe he was just denying it but Gaara had a crush on Xin, Naruto could just tell. Xin got away with far too much when it came to Gaara.

It was all rather interesting to witness.

When Naruto returned to the townhouse with Hinata later that night, he wasn't expecting the silence that greeted them. Hinata frowned next to him, eyes slowly seeking him out. "Xin is here," He reassured the weary woman. "But Gaara isn't…" He trailed off as they slid out of their shoes. Gaara agreed to stay behind to look out for Xin while she recovered from whatever the hell put her in that weird state.

They found Xin in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She glanced over her shoulder at them when she heard them approaching. Her lips tilted up into a smile. "Hey, I'm making Katsudon for dinner. How was your day?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, I'll help," Hinata offered, rushing over to her sister. They moved like clockwork, which always amused him. "Today was nice. Oh but Moegi and Ami did get into an arguement. Anko threatened to throw them both into the oven if they didn't stop."

Xin laughed at that while shaking her head, long ponytail bobbing with her motions. Naruto leaned against the wide frame of the archway, studying Xin closely. She seemed...tightly wound. Like maybe she was frustrated with something.

"Where's Gaara, Xin?" He prompted, causing her to glance over her shoulder at him. He watched the smile slowly shrink until it was gone completely. She swallowed up her laughter, burying it somewhere deep in her throat.

"I don't know," She shrugged a shoulder casually. "He left after I woke up."

"S'that so?"

"He agreed to look after you," Hinata spoke softly.

"I don't need him looking after me," Xin nearly snapped, frowning gently when Hinata flinched from her tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just...that man is an asshole," She nearly pouted, turning back to the food. "He stormed out here after I woke up."

"Any reason why?"

"We might have exchanged a few words."

"What kind of words?"

Xin closed her eyes and muttered to herself. "I asked him why he would care if I lived or not. He got all pissy and claimed that he didn't care," She began her explanation, ignoring Naruto as he heaved a heavy sigh. He could already tell where this was going. "So I asked what the hell the point of all of this way and he said I was just entertainment," She continued, trying to will her voice to remain firm. "And then he left."

She left out the part where Gaara nearly strangled her with his demonic energy. She was almost positive that he hadn't actually meant to do that. It was obvious Gaara had trouble controlling his very short temper. She was just glad he hadn't wrapped his long fingers around her neck this time.

Naruto shook his head and then squinted at Xin. He could see something underneath her skin, something dark. Something was twitching under her skin and it wasn't good. Next to her, Hinata shifted with a thoughtful frown. She looked at her sister, eyes squinting slightly. She could feel something was off. "Xin, what happened yesterday?"

She glanced at him one more time before tiredly reciting the same story she'd spun for Gaara that same morning. She was glad that Naruto didn't react as violently but the two did scold her for being so stupid. She could have waited until Naruto and Gaara returned to get things from their apartment. She'd nearly been killed by Masuyo because she was being impatient.

Just as they were finished cooking, Gaara ambled into the townhouse. The three paused in unison, watching as the demon walked by the kitchen without glancing at them. Xin and Hinata recoiled at the sight of him covered in blood and gore but Naruto smelled something else that made him frown.

Naruto waved the twins' attention away, following after his longtime friend. The stench was abundant as he slipped into Gaara's room, frowning harshly. "You smell like absolute shit," He announced, closing the door.

Gaara only glanced at him, tugging his soiled shirt off. "It's not like death smells pleasant," Gaara muttered simply, rubbing at his head. Naruto continued to frown, taking a deep sniff.

"Death also doesn't smell like cinnamon," Naruto said in an accusatory tone. "Nor does it smell like sex."

Gaara looked at him sharply, eyes narrowed. "Let it go, Uzumaki. It's none of your concern."

But Naruto was never one to take orders. "You said you and Matsuri were over yet you vanish when you're supposed to look after Xin to fuck her?"

"Xin can handle herself just fine."

"Clearly, which is why she was so damn out of it after being knocked on her ass by that psycho," Naruto said sarcastically. "Come on, man. You can't just run back to Matsuri like that, you're sending that lunatic mixed signals," He reminded his friend, highly disappointed with Gaara's recent actions

"I'm not running back to anything and I made it perfectly clear that our relationship doesn't change," Gaara replied curtly, tossing his stained shirt into the trash. Blood was a bitch to get out once it set and Xin would have a field day trying to clean it. Not that that crazy little hobbit did his laundry but anything dirty was a like a personal offense to her.

"You made it clear several times that you two were done yet she still clings onto the hope that you'll change your mind. Having casual sex with her isn't going to persuade her into thinking there's no chance."

Gaara glared at the blond, shoulders tightened defensively. "I don't need the lecture, Uzumaki," He snapped angrily.

"I think you fuckin' do."

"You're upset because you think I like Xin," Gaara stated in a blunt tone. Gaara could understand the frustration. They literally just had a conversation about Gaara harboring a crush on her. Instead of acting on it, he sought Matsuri out.

"I'm upset because you said you would keep an eye on her and you didn't. You ran off to fuck your crazy ex-girlfriend and then went on a killing spree afterwards. What the fuck, Gaara, what the fuck."

"I didn't want to," Gaara nearly snarled, considering the thought of throwing something at Naruto to shut him the hell up. "I _had_ to."

"Why?" Naruto demanded stubbornly. He was going to get his fuckin' answers if he had to beat it out of Gaara.

"Because I wanted to fuck her," the redhead snapped with a throaty snarl. Maybe it was the frustration or maybe Gaara just wanted to fuckin' admit that he actually wanted Xin in the worst way possible. He gritted his teeth, looking down at his bloodstained hands.

She was a miko, for fuck's sake. Miko didn't have relationships with demons and they sure as hell didn't have sex with demons. Miko were put on the Earth to exterminate demons, nothing more, nothing less. There was no such thing as a miko being with a demon. Romantically or sexually. It didn't happen.

 _Especially_ not with the two of them. Even if they weren't miko and demon, they argued relentlessly. How could they be attracted to one another when all they saw were the bad in one another? They barely got along so how could either one of them have room to be attracted to each other?

"I wanted to rip her flimsy clothes off, bend her over the arm of the couch, and I wanted to fuck her," He explained shortly. Neither were necessarily embarrassed by the vulgarity of his words. "But I also wanted to strangle her. I wanted to tear her annoying ass vocal cords out. I had to get out. I had to hurt—to kill something."

Naruto was quiet, eyeing Gaara carefully. It was all fine and dandy to have a crush on her. Hell, it was fine to lust after her. He's caught himself staring at Hinata a little too long lately. But having to remove himself from her presence to avoid acting out on his wicked desires was disheartening.

Before he could say more, they heard tiny feet pattering down towards the room. A quiet knock pulled their attention to the door before Xin stepped into the room. She came to a hard halt, eyes slightly widening as she stared at Gaara. He was still covered in blood and gore and he assumed that's why she was so surprised.

Xin looked down, avoiding any eye contact with the redhead. "The food is done," She announced almost hesitantly. "It'll get cold so come on before I call Sui, Karin, Tenten and Neji over for dinner. Then we can listen to her threaten you for hurting my feelings this afternoon."

She was obviously teasing but her statement about hurt feelings rubbed Gaara the wrong way. She did a fantastic job at hiding those feelings this afternoon, barely blinking as he hissed down at her.

"Right…" Naruto tried to sound cheerful but hell if it didn't come out sounding too excited. He bounded by the small woman, patting her roughly on the shoulder. Gaara moved slower than Naruto, studying Xin's face. She was looking at everything but him and he figured all the blood he was covered in made her uncomfortable.

She took a step to follow after Naruto but was halted when Gaara reached out to catch her by the wrist. She stilled, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her lips parted, as if she was going to say something, but decided against it at the last second. He held up his other hand, curling his fingers under her chin. She continued to stare at him, shocked into silence by his too-gentle touch. His thumb stroked along her jaw, staining her pale skin with blood.

Xin didn't say anything for a long time, mostly because she was so caught off guard. "Clean up before you come eat," She finally said, taking a careful step back. He didn't stop her this time, watching as she sauntered down the hallway.

Gaara joined them after taking a shower, having scrubbed all the blood away. Naruto wrinkled his nose, still able to smell Matsuri's scent lingering on Gaara's skin. Dinner didn't last as long as it usually did, everyone almost desperate to get away from the awkward silence that fell over them.

The night took a turn for the worse as the twins bustled the dirtied plates back to the kitchen. They were speaking about the day casually when Xin's voice died off. Hinata frowned from the sink, turning to see that Xin had gone deathly pale. "Xin…?"

Her eyes had gone wide and her grip on the piles of plates she was holding loosened, shattering as they hit the ground. Hinata let out a startled shriek as Xin crumpled to the floor. Naruto was suddenly there, yanking Xin up and turning her over.

Xin's eyes were still wide but they had a glossy look, as if she wasn't really awake. She had gone still, sagging in Naruto's arms. Panic settled in the demon as he looked down at her, the odd energy he felt earlier beating erratically at her skin. Xin's eyes slammed shut and her mouth opened, releasing a painful wail.

Hinata cringed at the sound, panic settled deep into her chest. Gaara, who'd appeared out of nowhere, stared hard at Xin with an unreadable expression. He wheeled around to face Hinata, catching the miko by her thin shoulders.

"Hinata, calm down."

"Calm down? How can I?" Hinata demanded with tears nearly streaming down her face. " _Something_ is happening and we don't even know what!" She cried mournfully. Honestly if they weren't in such a dire situation, Gaara would have been impressed that Hinata had it in her to yell at him. But now wasn't the time. They were running out of time and something had to be done immediately.

"You have to purify her. There's evil energy in her and it's destroying her from the inside," Gaara spoke plainly, holding Hinata's frantic gaze. "Stop crying."

"You want me to purify her? Won't that..won't it kill her?"

"No but Masuyo's energy will if you don't do anything."

Hinata nodded slowly, looking every bit of terrified. Xin's screaming had died down into strangled whimpers. Her gaze remained aimless, staring directly at the ceiling but seeing nothing. Tears gushed from her eyes, rapidly and uncontrollably. Hinata moved towards her sister quickly, dropping to her knees. She bit her lip and concentrated, focusing until her eyes caught the sight of something dark humming under Xin's skin.

The energy pulsed against her ribs, threatening to splinter the bone. Hinata grimaced and pressed her hands to Xin's chest, sending rivulets of her energy towards the dark matter. The lavender energy attacked the dark matter, biting and shredding it almost desperately. Naruto and Gaara watched in rapt interest as Masuyo's energy dwindled into nothing under Hinata's energy.

It wasn't long before Hinata chased the last bit of evil away. Once she was sure it was gone for good, she leaned backwards as Xin's lips began to quiver. She let out a long groan, snapping her eyes shut. The tears continued to cut rivers down her cheeks as she laid there.

"..Xin?" Naruto broke the silence first, shifting her until she was somewhat sitting up. "Tell me you're alive, shorty."

Xin finally opened her eyes, face flushed from her screaming and crying. "Oh my God," She groaned finally after a tense silence. "It feels like—"

"I don't want to hear any pop culture references out of you," Hinata reacted quicker, pointing an offending finger at her sister. Xin glanced at her, offering an exhausted smile. Naruto helped her to her feet, keeping a steady grip on her as she wobbled. Gaara watched her but didn't bother to help, not like he normally would have.

Instead he turned very sharply and stalked out of the kitchen. Neither miko took notice, Hinata far too busy fussing over her slightly dazed sister again. But Naruto watched him leave, frowning thoughtfully as he did so.

He decided to leave his friend be for the time being. Now certainly wasn't a good time to continue grilling the man.

* * *

Jura grinned widely as he bounded into the bakery, spotting Xin almost immediately. She hadn't been at work for the past couple of days, something about an injury to her hand giving her time off. She was leaning against the counter, for once, seemingly on break. "Xin!" He waved at her. She looked up at him, a smile pulling at her plump lips.

The woman straightened up. "Jura, hi," She waved back at him, coming from behind the counter. "You don't peg me as the sweets type," She observed, missing the look of complete adoration in his eyes.

"They're alright," He shrugged leisurely. "What time do you get off today?"

Xin glanced at the funky clock on the wall. "In about an hour," She answered, looking back at him. "Why?"

"You wanna go to the arcade with me afterwards?"

Xin gave him a funny look, head tilted to the side. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned into his personal space. He dipped his head down to accommodate the lack of height. "You demons do that kind of thing?" She murmured low enough.

A great big grin overtook his face, a laugh threatening to bubble from his throat. He took a step closer, enjoying the lack of space between them. "We're not _complete_ heathens, you know."

A grin matching his own pulled at her lips. "Right, of course you aren't. My mistake. But sure, why not? I haven't been to the arcade in awhile. I'll totally kick your ass at _Mortal Komba_ t."

Jura guffawed but left, promising he would be back in an hour. Xin busied herself with texting Hinata her plans so Naruto wouldn't worry about her later on.

"What happened to the scary redhead boyfriend?"

Xin glanced up at she stepped into the back. Moegi and Ami were blatantly eyeing her, making it obvious that they'd been eavesdropping. She quirked a brow at them. "He's not my boyfriend," She stated instead of answering them.

"I liked him better for you," Ami stated, causing Xin to squint at her. "This guy seems too nice for you, it's not going to work," She said with an air of finality.

Xin scowled at the girl, "did I ask?"

"As much as I would hate to agree with her, she's right," Moegi nodded her head apologetically. "The redhead seemed more willing to argue you with you if you're wrong. This one seems like he would just let you do what you want."

"How the hell would you even know that?"

"You can tell by the way they look at you. Are you blind?" Ami folded her arms and snorted. "That guy looks at you with complete adoration, like he'll let you walk all over him. The redhead wouldn't let you walk all over him. You need someone like that. You're a brat."

Xin gaped at the girl, clearly offended. "You both are fuckin' crazy. Neither of them like me. I know damn well Gaara doesn't like me like that. He just looks out for me as a favor for my cousin and Tenten."

"Oh, is that so?" Ami asked airily. "Is that why he watches you like a hawk and glares at any boy who so much as smiles at you?"

Xin flushed uncontrollably. "That doesn't mean shit," She snapped with a scowl. "We can barely stand each other as it is."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, princess," Ami shrugged leisurely while swaying out the door. Xin rolled her eyes and waved their words off, stalking towards the bathroom to clean her face. For once, she was relatively clean of any flour or smears.

An hour later, she was waving goodbye with her coworkers, loudly bickering with Jura over Mortal Kombat. Moegi and Ami watched her go, each frowning in thought.

"Five bucks says the redhead flips his shit when he finds out," Ami said flatly.

* * *

He'd like to say he didn't take immediate notice of Xin's absence but that was fat ass lie, so he just won't say anything. But the minute Gaara stepped foot into the townhouse, he was aware of Xin's lack of presence.

Hinata and Naruto were in the living room, watching anime when they noticed his arrival. "Hey, man," Naruto grinned widely at him.

"..what the hell are you watching?" Gaara asked instead of returning the greeting.

Hinata smiled sheepishly, sinking into the sofa, " _Sailor Moon."_

"You're twenty-one, Hinata."

Hinata only let out a soft laugh. "It's a classic," She argued through her giggles. "It's one of Xin's favorites but don't tell her I told you. She'll deny it."

In hindsight, she realized she shouldn't have mentioned her sister. Because that perfectly shoehorned into, "where is your sister?"

 _Sailor Moon_ proved to be far more interesting than the conversation because Naruto's eyes did not stray from the television. Later on Hinata would reprimand him for leaving to the wolves. "She's...out."

"Out?"

"Mhm. With a friend."

"Karin and Tenten?"

"Um, no. Not quite."

"Suigetsu and Neji?"

"Nu-uh."

" _Hinata."_

"She's hanging out with Jura," She said in one breath. And really, she shouldn't be so nervous to tell Gaara that. It wasn't like Xin wasn't allowed to hang out with Jura, they were friends, after all. Xin could do as she pleased, Jura wasn't dangerous and he would keep an eye on her.

For a long moment, Gaara didn't react. "Jura," He nodded slowly. Naruto's eyes finally flickered away from the television, briefly gauging for his reaction. Gaara said nothing more, opting to plop down in the La-Z boy recliner. "Well...what the hell is this show about?"

* * *

Xin smiled widely as she shuffled inside, turning one last time to wave at Jura before closing the door behind her. She took a deep breath, leaning against the door.

If she was being completely honest, she was glad to be away from Jura. Not that he'd done anything wrong to offend her. She actually had a lot of fun and enjoyed hanging out with Jura. She almost felt normal just hanging out with a friend at the arcade.

But Moegi and Ami's words haunted her the entire time. Did Jura actually have a thing for her? She hadn't done anything to warrant any affection from the brunet. They were just starting to be friends.

And what the fuck was up with them and assuming _Gaara_ was her boyfriend? It was funny at first but the two were obviously serious. But that made even less sense than Jura liking her. At least Jura treated her nicely. All she ever did was go back and forth with Gaara, she still wasn't sure if the redhead actually liked her as a person to begin with.

But he'd been the one to save her these last couple of times. That had to mean something, right? He didn't have to save her life, she hadn't called for him but he came for her anyway.

" _You're more trouble than you're worth."_

His words jumped to the forefront of her mind, slapping her figuratively across the face. To put it simply, Gaara was mean to her. It was childish and sounded like something a preschooler would say but if she was being plain and simple about it, Gaara was mean. And unless she was a complete dumbass _(she's only half of a dumbass, thank you very much_ ) being mean to a girl wasn't a great way to show her that you liked her.

Not that Gaara liked her in the first place.

She was going to slap the shit out of Moegi and Ami during their next shift together. When the hell did they even begin to get along enough to come up with an idea like that? She couldn't believe them.

Besides, a miko and a demon? Wasn't that like against the rules or something? It had to be….what was the word? Blasphemous? Sacrilegious? Xin wrinkled her nose in distaste. The last thing she needed in this whole debacle was a complicated romantic plot. It sounded like a ripoff of _InuYasha._

"God, that makes me Kagome, doesn't it?" She muttered to herself, rubbing at her forehead. "So Matsuri is Kikyo? That's unfair...Kuraim would be Naraku and Jura would be...Kouga? What about Masuyo then? Oh...maybe Tsubaki? She's certainly a whack job…"

"Xin?"

Xin nearly jumped out of her skin, pressing her hands to the door in her panic. Hinata was standing at the archway to the kitchen, frowning softly. "What on Earth are you talking to yourself about?"

"My weird shoujo-life. Well.. _InuYasha_ wasn't shoujo, right?" Xin asked while approaching her sister.

"No, I don't think it was," Hinata replied while turning back around. "How was your...how was Jura?" She asked after a short pause. Xin had a feeling that Hinata was going to ask how the so called ' _date'_ went. Was she the only one missing something? Did Jura really have a thing for her or was everyone just being overdramatic?

"It was...nice," Xin answered as they stepped into the kitchen. "What'd you guys do?"

A smile curled at Hinata's lips, piquing Xin's interest. "We all sat down and watched _Sailor Moon_ for a couple of hours."

"You _watched what?_ Wait a minute, who watched it?"

"The three of us."

"The three of you as in you, Naruto _and_ Gaara?"

"Yes."

"How in the hell did you manage that?" Xin snorted while digging through the fridge. She turned around, armed with their leftover dinner.

"I didn't manage anything. He asked what we were watching, I told him and then he sat down. We had a nice time," Hinata told her, watching as Xin shoved the plate of food into the microwave. The younger twin didn't speak again until she had her food thoroughly warm enough to eat.

"Weird," Xin hummed as she sat down, stabbing thoughtfully at her food. Hinata remained standing, patiently waiting for her sister to get her thoughts in order. "...Hinata?" She asked after a silent pause.

Hinata nearly smiled, knowing her sister so well. "Yes?"

"Do you think Jura has a crush on me?"

"He might," Hinata nodded slowly, watching as Xin seemingly grimaced. "Is that such a bad thing?" She asked carefully.

"No, I mean..I guess not," Xin muttered not nearly loud enough.

"Jura is nice."

"He is. Very nice."

The sisters shared a moment of silence, Hinata's expression patient but also expectant. Xin steadily avoided the gaze, finding her food exceptionally interesting. "I..I don't feel any special way towards Jura."

"No?" Hinata asked with raised eyebrows. "Maybe give it some time? It's not like you spend a lot of time with him. How would you know so soon?"

"How would he know so soon that he has a crush on me?"

Hinata shrugged a shoulder. "You know boys are attracted to appearances before personality," She stated, gaze never straying from Xin's face. Xin didn't seem particularly fond of that answer, frowning in what Hinata assumed to be disappointment.

"What about...Gaara?"

Hinata gave her a very odd look, head tilted to the side. "What about him?" She pressed, watching as Xin's frown twitched. In confusion? Hinata could barely tell. It seemed more like a mix of confusion and frustration. "Xin? What about him?"

"I..I don't know."

Hinata's eyebrows tightened as she studied Xin. She slowly approached, sitting down gingerly. Xin continued to avoid her gaze, stabbing even harder at her food. "Stop playing with your food," Hinata chided gently, knowing Xin was trying to avoid the conversation. She stopped immediately, shoulders tensing.

Their parents used to heavily scold Xin when she played with her food or any other nervous tics she might have developed. Hinata never said it outloud but their parents were the reason Xin turned out to be so...quirky. She was always a carefree child but their constant scoldings and putting her in therapy when she was so young seemed to do more harm than good. She was probably assuming Hinata would scold her whatever was brewing in her mind.

"What's wrong, Xin?" Hinata prompted, trying to coax her sister into speaking her mind.

Xin stubbornly shoved her chopsticks into her mouth, chewing nearly aggressively. "Nothing, Mo and Ami were just saying dumb shit today, is all," She insisted, looking away. Dumb or not, whatever the two said to her was obviously bothering her. Hinata tapped idly at the tabletop, garnering Xin's attention.

"You can talk to me, Xin. I'm not going to send you to therapy just because I might not agree with whatever comes out of your mouth," Hinata said in a light tone. Xin blushed instantly, squaring her shoulder almost defensively.

"I know that," She mumbled almost childishly. Hinata couldn't help the smile curving her lips. "It's just..it just sounds so ridiculous," Xin rolled her eyes helplessly. "Mo and Ami claims that—" she paused, making a face. "— _Gaara_ has a thing for me and that he's better suited for me."

Hinata didn't reply, words clogging her throat. Out of all things, she wasn't expecting _that_. Unlike Jura, Gaara actually spent a lot of time with her wayward sister. During the past few months, Gaara was actually getting to know Xin. All of her quirks, mannerisms, her routines, her likes and dislikes. What's worse is that Hinata could actually see their relationship possibly elevating to something _more._ It was harder to picture Xin's relationship with Jura as being anything other than platonic.

"Oh dear.." Hinata trailed off, hand cupping her face.

"It's complete bullshit, right? All we ever do is bicker. He said I'm more trouble than I'm worth. That's not a very nice thing to say to someone you like, right?" Xin said stubbornly, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself of the fact. "He's kind of..of...a jerk."

Hinata raised an eyebrow, knowing her sister could string along a better insult than that. "That's not your best," She commented evenly, placing her elbow on the table. Their parents would have a fit if they could see them now, Xin talking with her mouth full and Hinata with her elbows on the table. It was nice to finally have some independence from their parents. Sure, their lives had been thrown out of the whack with this demonic/miko business but she was satisfied with everything besides that.

Hell, she was even satisfied with Naruto and Gaara being around. Gaara was a bit weird when it came to her sister but he wasn't so bad. He watched _Sailor Moon_ with her, of all things. And Naruto…..well...Hinata blushed and pushed those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to think about the blond demon. Her sister was clearly experiencing an odd crisis.

"Anyway," Hinata said, clearing her throat. "I'm not sure if Gaara necessarily has a thing for you but he did seem a little annoyed when I told him you were out with Jura. I'm not sure what it is but...something is there," Hinata began to say in a soft tone. "When he said those mean things to you..I think he was lashing out because he's not really used to caring for someone like you. I don't think he meant any of those things he said to you."

Xin pouted, pushing her plate away and slouching against the tabletop. "So you think he's pushing me away?" Xin huffed in disbelief. "Doesn't that seem a little….shoujo-esque to you?"

"Well, you did say your life is like _InuYasha…"_

"That's not funny at all and you know it."

Hinata chuckled softly as Xin continued to pout. "It's a little funny, Kagome."

"Ugh, don't call me that."

"What's wrong with Kagome? She was the main heroine."

"Nothing but everyone knows Kikyo was the better miko."

"Kagome ended up with InuYasha though."

"Yeah, I guess that's true—ah, wait! That doesn't mean I'm gonna end up with Gaara or anything like that!"

"Sure, Xin, of course not."

* * *

Much later that night, Xin found herself stumbling down to the kitchen for a snack. She rubbed obsessively at her eye, willing the sleep to go away. The small woman paused at the doorway of the kitchen, stretching her arms above her head. Once she was satisfied, she finally opened her eyes and nearly screamed at the sight greeting her.

Gaara glanced up at her, shirtless and covered in blood like the last time. Xin paled considerably and looked down towards his hand. He was gripping what she assumed to be his bloodied shirt. Her eye twitched at the bloodstains and vaguely she wondered if he would give it up so she could clean it.

"Where….where have you been?" Xin asked slowly, keeping her eyes focused on the shirt. When the girls had gone to bed hours earlier, they'd noticed that both Naruto and Gaara were absent. It wasn't a big deal for them to be left in the townhouse by themselves but the demons usually made it a point to tell them they were going out in the first place. "There's..usually not so much blood," Xin said in the same slow tone, approaching the taller redhead. "Are you alright?"

Gaara snatched her up by the wrist before she could touch him. "Demon world," He answered blankly. He stared at her wrist, nearly marveling at how thin it was. His entire hand wrapped easily around it, causing him to tilt his head to the side in thought. It was a wonder such a fragile looking woman had lived so far.

"Who pissed you off?" Xin asked, trying to pull away. He noticed that she avoided looking at him. "Let go already, you're going to leave a bruise," She fussed hotly, using her other hand to pry his hand away.

"The blood bothers you?"

"What? No?"

"Then why are you looking down?"

Xin's face noticeably flushed. "Because, you idiot, you aren't wearing a shirt!" She snapped, trying hard to yank away but failing miserably. Gaara stared down at the bluenette, caught off guard by her statement. Him being topless embarrassed her? She worked at a fuckin' gym, she was around topless men all the time.

"The blood doesn't bother you?" He asked clearly, wanting to clarify her freakish need to avoid looking at him.

"I said no already, didn't I? I'm not…I know you kill other demons. There's not much I can do about that, is there? Besides..if I can get the hang of this miko business, won't I just be killing demons as well?" She asked with far too much innocence in her voice. He stared at the crown of her head, frowning tightly.

She had a point but the thought of her killing someone else didn't sit right with him. Gaara reached for her other wrist, dragging her towards him until they were chest to chest. Xin's head snapped up towards him, eyes wide and mouth pinched. "It's not the same, Xin."

"It is," She argued, squaring her shoulders.

"I'm a demon, Xin, my sole purpose is to destroy. To kill, to wreak havoc. You're the complete opposite," He released one wrist, reaching up to draw meaningless patterns against her cheek. "Your purpose is to heal, protect and save. Not kill. Purification."

"Same thing," Xin insisted stubbornly but Gaara only shook his head. "It doesn't matter either way cuz' I can't do shit anyway. Let me go, go take a shower and put some fuckin' clothes on—and stop caressing my face!"

Gaara did as she he was told but only because he recaptured her wrist. He pulled hard at her until they were pressed intimately together. He dropped his head closer to her, lips nearly brushing her forehead. "You were with Jura tonight."

Xin blinked in confusion. "Yeah, so?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean? Because he asked me to hang out and said I said yes," Xin answered with a quirked brow. "What does it even matter?"

Gaara didn't immediately answer and that aggravated Xin. He didn't have any right to question anything she did or who she spent time with.

"It matters."

"That literally didn't answer my question. It _doesn't_ matter. I can spend my time with whoever I want. At least he's nice to me," Xin snapped angrily, somewhat unsure of why she felt the need to even say that.

Gaara curved over her, causing her to arch into him. "He's nice to you," He hummed in an odd tone. It sounded amused but annoyed at the same time. For reasons she refused to explain, she liked the sound of it. "You _do_ know why he's nice to you, don't you?"

"Why?" Xin squinted at him.

"Because he wants to fuck your pretty little brains out."

Xin flushed so hard at the vulgarity of his words that steam blew out of her ears. She was so caught off guard by his blatant statement that she didn't even realize he'd essentially called her pretty. Well, he said her pretty little brains but be still used the word.

"..and?" She asked slowly. "Maybe I want him to," Xin said, looking away. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed his very odd expression. Gaara leaned close, studying her blushing face.

"No," Gaara breathed against her skin, eliciting a shiver to claw at her spine. "No, no you don't," the demon whispered quietly. The tiny miko trapped in his grip had no idea what she was doing. She had no clue about the fire she was foolishly stoking within him.

"You…" Xin's face flushed even harder, if that was even possible. Okay, so it was true. She didn't want Jura in that way, how could she? She just admitted to her sister that she didn't feel any special way towards Jura. But...but that didn't mean she felt any special way towards Gaara either.

Right?

"You don't know what I want," Xin finally managed to whisper just as quietly. There was an edge to her voice, tinged with anxiousness and wonderment.

No, maybe he didn't know what she wanted but he sure as hell knew what he wanted. He wanted this tiny girl for himself. Killing other demons and fucking Matsuri just wasn't cutting it for him. He couldn't get rid of the very primal urge to just _ruin_ her completely.

Maybe it was just the demon in him wanting to destroy the miko in her or maybe it was something more. He wasn't completely sure but he wanted her. He wanted her fast, hard and he wanted it to hurt.

The only question was did she want that as well?

There was no space left in between them but he still pulled hard at her. Blood rushed to her face but she didn't fight him off. She rotated her wrists in his grasp but remained locked in his grip. Xin tilted her head back, lips slightly parted as if to say something. It was over, he could tell. His gaze dropped to her lips and he could just tell that if he kissed her, any other woman afterwards would be ruined for him. If he kissed this stupid miko, he would not be satisfied with anyone but her.

Dark lashes fluttered against her flushed cheeks. "Gaara…" She finally managed to utter, his name sounding so sweet against her puffy lips. Her eyes glazed over as she stared up at him.

He had to take a moment to decide whether or not it would be worth it. He had to ask himself if he was ready to ruin them both. The rational, _sane,_ part of him screamed that he was making a mistake. That part reminded him that their relationship was shaky and fragile and everything brewing in his mind would only serve to ruin it.

But maybe that's what Xin actually wanted because she was suddenly on the tips of her toes, leaning her slight weight on his chest. She used the stance to her advantage, rearing up to softly brush her lips against his.

And that was it. That was all it took. His body felt like it was on fire, like he was suddenly drowning in flames. All of that for one simple kiss, that was barely even a kiss to begin with. It was enough to catch him off guard, his grip falling away from her thin wrists. Xin simply raised her hands to his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin as she steadied her footing.

Her mouth brushed against his jawline, somewhat too short to reach his mouth without him pulling her up towards him. His eyes swept the kitchen, wondering if the table behind her could withstand their combined weight. Xin didn't weigh that much to begin with….

"Gaara," Xin said again, this time almost impatiently. Her voice was thick with longing. He was sure that the table wouldn't hold up against them but maybe the counter could…

His arms snapped around her middle, trapping her against him. She couldn't escape if she wanted to but judging by her expression, it was not on her mind.

"Do...do you w—"

" _Gaara_."

The two paused, Gaara's eyes slowly sliding up to peer over her head again. Naruto stood at the doorway to the kitchen, looking both annoyed and interested. His pretty blue eyes narrowed at Gaara, not paying Xin any mind when she turned in Gaara's arms to peer over shoulder.

"C'mere, Xin," Naruto said after a long pause. It didn't sound like an order but Xin heard his tone and knew the blond meant business. Gaara let her go slowly, hands sliding down her back and off her waist. She stepped away from the redhead, eyes still swirling with curiosity and...longing?

He didn't get a chance to study her eyes hard enough because she suddenly turned away from him. She padded towards Naruto, shoulders locked tensely and head bowed. "It's late, Xin, you should get to bed," Naruto murmured quietly. Xin flinched, as if she'd been caught doing something wrong and was being scolded for it.

She glanced back at Gaara, frowning lightly. Whatever they had just shared...was it wrong?

It didn't matter, Naruto must have decided, because he nudged her away from the kitchen. This time she went willingly, whispering a quick ' _good night_ ' before scurrying away on soft footsteps.

The kitchen was left in total silence as both demons tried to collect their whirling thoughts. Gaara wouldn't say it outloud but he already missed the warmth Xin provided. He was already craving the touch of her lips against his skin. The liquid fire running through his veins began to cool without her foolishly stoking the flames.

"So," Naruto took a deep breath, eyes seeking him out. "What was that shit about her being just a kid and not taking her to bed?" He asked with a dry expression. "And don't tell me it doesn't count since you were planning on taking her to the damn table, same shit."

Gaara didn't have an immediate reply for once because he'd really been considering throwing Xin down on the kitchen table.

"Why the fuck are you even shirtless and covered in blood? What the hell were you even thinking? Weren't you _just_ with Matsuri a couple of days ago? Was that not enough?"

Had it really been only a couple of days? He was craving Xin like he'd been touch-starved for years. His sexual appetite should have been sated for at least a couple more days. Yet here he was, about to fuck a pretty little miko on the table.

God, how the mighty fall.

"She kissed me," Gaara accidentally blurted. It had to mean _something,_ right? Xin didn't seem like the type to just go around randomly kissing men. And what the hell was she going to ask him before Naruto opened his big fat mouth?

Naruto let out a groan, running his fingers through his unruly locks. He shouldn't have to deal with this bullshit. What the two did and didn't do was really none of his business. But still..he couldn't let Gaara selfishly ruin Xin.

"Look, man, Xin isn't Matsuri, alright? She's not like any of those women you fucked around with. You can't play with her like this. She doesn't care about your status in our world and she's not going to act like Matsuri. You can't treat her like this because of some baseless attraction you have to her tits or ass," Naruto scolded him, feeling like it was in through one ear and out the other.

"If I all I cared about was her physical appearance, wouldn't you be concerned for Hinata as well? They're twins, after all…"

Naruto tensed, his usual laxed disposition began to crackle. Gaara didn't react to Naruto's sudden mood change, nearly smirking. Naruto's crush on Hinata was painfully obvious. The only one who didn't notice was Hinata, ironically.

Xin and Hinata shared every physical feature from their plump lips to their meager height. Hell, they even had the same hairstyle and their hair was roughly the same length. They looked exactly alike but he felt nothing when he saw Hinata. He didn't have the urge to throw the even-tempered woman on the table and fuck her until she forgot her name.

He didn't feel _any_ of that despite Xin and Hinata being mirror images.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "You're telling me that your attraction to Xin isn't based solely on her appearance?"

"Not solely, no," Gaara admitted faintly, turning back towards the sink. He turned the faucet on and began to rub water into his face, trying to gather his sporadic thoughts. He'd already admitted that Xin was pretty. Yes, she was aesthetically pleasing but that just wasn't _it._

He wanted to devour her wholeheartedly but he couldn't see himself slipping out of her bed when he was through with her. He couldn't see himself treating her like he treated Matsuri.

His stomach began to churn.

Naruto peered at the redhead, blue eyes squinting suspiciously. "Gaara, are you trying to tell me that you do like Xin?" He asked slowly and carefully, like he was afraid of the answer. He already asked once before but things could have changed. Maybe he looked away for too long but things were definitely different.

Meanwhile, Gaara seriously rolled the question over in his head. He was certain that there was a violent lust for Xin but was there an attachment to her underneath that?

"To be honest, Uzumaki, I don't fuckin' know. I just know she's attractive and I like being around her. And I'm almost certain that the dining room table can hold our weight up. Not the kitchen table."

The blond let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. "Okay, let's try this. Would you be alright with her dating other guys? Think of Jura. They went on a date, right?"

"I _still_ haven't punched him in the face."

The thought of Xin harbouring feelings for Jura unsettled him and honestly, pissed him off. It practically made his skin crawl to think Xin might consider entertaining feelings for that moron. The mere thought of finding Xin in Jura's embrace was almost enough to set him off.

He twisted the faucet, nearly snapping it clean off. Naruto made a noise behind him but he didn't bother turning around. Jura being with Xin was..plausible. Jura was, as Xin said, nice to her. Jura was safe, he wasn't violent despite being a demon. He was sweet and maybe Xin needed that.

"I wouldn't," Gaara said after a long moment, deciding to be truthful about it. "I wouldn't like it but if that's what Xin wanted...who am I to say otherwise?"

"Well, judging by her actions, I think she's leaning towards you. But hey, anything can happen, right? All's fair in love and war."

"Fuck off."

The blond laughed again and Gaara scowled, he didn't see what the fuck was so funny. "Alright, alright but one last thing. Xin is a nice girl, a _real_ nice girl. A little weird but that's besides the point. If you're only chasing after her because you want to get in between her legs, back the fuck off. If that's the type of shit Matsuri is cool with, then continue that. Not with Xin, she doesn't deserve it and you know it. Besides, the last thing I feel like doing is fighting Suigetsu, Karin, Tenten and Neji off because you decided to steal their miko's virginity."

"Are you only saying this because you want to stay in Hinata's good graces?" Gaara asked sourly, not being able to help being an asshole.

"Doesn't matter _why_ I'm saying it, all that matters is that it's being said. If you aren't serious about that girl, leave her alone."

A small part of Naruto did want to stay on Hinata's good side but that didn't mean he didn't care for Xin at all. He spent time with both twins and enjoyed their company. Sometimes he even forgot that he was a demon and they were humans. He felt like a normal person around the two and he appreciated that they weren't scared of him or acted like he was above them.

So he didn't want to see Xin unnecessarily hurt because Gaara couldn't tell the difference between having a fuckin' crush and just lusting after a woman. He also really didn't want to deal with their friends. They already made it quite clear that they didn't like the idea of the four of them being around one another. Not that he blamed them. Clearly they had the right to be concerned now that Gaara had some fixation with Xin.

God, Karin would never let this go….

He should've just stayed in Konoha.

* * *

Xin rubbed at her face, effectively streaking flour across her face. She busied herself in the back of the bakery, obsessively slaving over any order that was received.

"Should I be concerned?" Anko asked from the doors, watching as Xin leaned over the sugar cookie dough, forming them into Autumn inspired shapes. It wasn't unusual to see Xin working so hard but she seemed so distracted.

"No more than usual," Ami huffed, peeking her head into the back. "Maybe her date with that one guy didn't go so well."

"She specifically said it wasn't like that," Moegi pointed out with a wry smile. "Maybe she's having issues with the boyfriend?"

"The scary one?" Anko frowned.

"Mhm, well she claims it's not like that either," Ami offered a sarcastic smile, hip cocked to the side.

"I thought it was like that, he's always here for her when she gets off…."

"Right?" Ami replied, glad that she and Moegi weren't the only ones to notice. "Have you noticed how he acts when other men show any interest in her?"

"Yeah, it's like he's ready to murder them in the middle of my bakery," Anko folded her arms across her chest and shifted her weight uneasily. "But he's not her boyfriend?"

"So she says," Ami said, shrugging one last time before shifting back out to the front. Anko briefly watched the girl go before turning her gaze back to Xin. It was odd to see a person so focused and yet clearly distracted by something. Xin was running circles around the other bakers but she could barely concentrate when they spoke to her.

Anko shooed Moegi away before stepping closer to Xin's workarea. It was a mess of ingredients but it was like controlled chaos. Xin knew exactly where everything was without looking up. She was focusing hard on her task and was nearly finished. Anko watched quietly as Xin carefully sprinkled orange decorator sugar over cookies shaped like pumpkins and leaves. There was also cookies shaped like apples and acorns.

"Good job, Xin," Anko murmured quietly, smiling slightly when Xin visibly jumped. "Working hard, I see," She continued in that same tone, peering around the smaller woman to get a better look at the cookies. "You alright?"

Xin put the sugar down and wiped her hands down her front. "I'm fine," She muttered just as quietly, eyes still on the cookies.

"You're also a liar," Anko snorted while rolling her eyes. "C'mon, take a breather and come talk to me about it," Anko didn't give her much of a choice, reaching behind Xin to untie her apron. Xin only huffed but conceded, neatly folding her apron to the side to follow after her boss.

"I was thinking of making Halloween-inspired cookies next," Xin made small talk during the trek to Anko's office. "Nightmare Before Christmas cookies, skulls, ghosts, bats, and other creepy shit."

Anko smiled, plopping down in her cushy chair. "Sure, Xin, but let's give everyone else a chance to do their jobs too, yeah?"

"Not my fault they're fuckin' slow," Xin pouted stubbornly and folded her arms, purposely avoiding Anko's gaze.

"They're not, Xin. You're just moving like you snorted fifteen lines of cocaine. Something is bothering you that you're trying to distract yourself from thinking of it. Tell me what's going on."

Xin shifted her weight between her feet, frowning uneasily. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to talk to Anko about it. She might have had less of an opinion than Hinata or their other friends. "Well…" She trailed off, trying to think of a way to talk about everything without directly revealing the demonic world.

Not that Gaara being a demon even bothered Xin in the first place. Which was odd to even say because demons were generally...well...they were bad. But then again, that wasn't fair to say. Not all demons were bad, like Karin or Suigetsu. Anyway, that's besides the point. The point was that Xin simply didn't care that Gaara or Jura were demons.

Which didn't make the least bit of sense because not only was he a demon, he was a murderous demon. There was no way around it, Gaara was a dangerous individual. That was made clear when she caught him covered in blood last night.

But the thing that was so off-putting about finding him covered in blood is that a trill of… _something_ twisted in her gut. It wasn't a bad _something_ , either. It was like an adrenaline rush but that's not exactly how she would describe it.

It almost felt like desire.

And that being the case, what did that say about her? To actually be attracted to Gaara was one thing. Being turned on by a demon covered in the blood of other demons meant she was clearly off her shit.

"Does it involve the scary redhead and the brunet that looks like a puppy?" Anko asked, gently guiding Xin into opening up. She didn't know Xin as long as she knew the other bakers but it was obvious that Xin was as stubborn as they come.

"...Yeah," She admitted almost sullenly. "I..well...Mo and Ami got it in their heads that they like me. I thought they were being ridiculous but…"

"Some truth to their words?"

"Maybe," Xin muttered in that same sullen tone. "I just..I don't see why either of them would like me. Especially Gaara. He's fuckin' mean and all we do is bicker."

"Because he's probably trying to deflect his feelings," Anko replied simply. "Sounds like a classic case of a bad boy meeting a wealthy girl that he can't have. Except the wealthy girl ran off to work at a bakery and gym."

Not to mention the boy was a demon, but who's keeping track of those small details?

"I'm not sure. He usually acts like he can't stand to be around me but…"

"But…?"

"I think he might have been upset that I was with Jura. We had...a moment…"

"Oh?"

Xin nodded, finding the floor incredibly interesting. "I..uh..I liked the moment," She confessed almost guiltily. "I kissed him first…"

"Did he kiss you back?"

"No…" Xin flushed terribly. "I think I caught him off guard. He looked like he was going to kiss me back but his friend interrupted. I don't think he would approve, I don't think any of my friends would approve," Xin rubbed harshly at her face, trying to pick the flour from her skin.

"Yes, well, bad boy, good girl. Like Romeo and Juliet."

Sure, except Romeo wasn't a raging demon and Juliet wasn't an incompetent miko.

"People do know that story is a tragedy, right?" Xin asked sourly, fingers twitching as she tried in vain to stop fidgeting long enough.

"Details, baby, details," Anko waved Xin's quip off with a lazy swipe of her hand. "But you get what I'm saying, right? Maybe you're just attracted to one another because no one wants you together? What about the other one? Didn't have a moment with him?"

Xin sighed heavily, thinking back of the so-called 'date' regarding Jura. Truth be told, she'd been aware of Jura's flirtations all night but only because Ami and Moegi pointed it out beforehand. If they hadn't put that bug in her head, Xin would have remained oblivious. Maybe it would have been better that way.

"No," She said after a long moment of silence.

"That's fine. You don't have to return feelings you don't have," Anko reminded her simply. "You aren't obligated to do anything, you know. If that kid really likes you, he'll understand and still want to be your friend."

A small smile finally pulled at Xin's face, washing away the uncertainty that contorted her pretty features. It made Anko smile as well. She didn't like Xin being anxious and unsure of herself. That wasn't like the spitfire at all.

"But even so, be careful of that redhead one. Bad boys have their reputation for a reason. I don't know if this is a slight at your parents or if everything is genuine but just be mindful of him," Anko added quickly, dreading the thought of Xin getting her heart broken over some mutant redhead.

But then again...knowing the pint-sized spitfire, she'd probably break his kneecaps if he hurt her.

Xin only nodded, wringing her hands together. Anko watched the motion, vaguely remembering that Hinata also had a tendency to fidget with her fingers as well. "Now back to work with you. But give the other bakers a chance, eh?" Anko shooed the younger girl off with a grin.

* * *

Hours later, Xin and Moegi were on lockup. The bakery had been swept, mopped and shut down as the girls finished the last of lockup. Moegi was busy counting the money and locking the register up while Xin was in the back, changing out of her stained clothes.

She was glad for Anko's advice but a stray thought hit her in the middle of preparing a wedding cake. Sure, it was all fine and dandy to consider pursuing _something_ with Gaara except there was just one issue.

Matsuri.

Fuckin' Matsuri. The estranged ex-girlfriend. Semi-girlfriend? Xin wasn't exactly sure what their relationship really was but Matsuri was still in the picture. And if Xin learned anything from her psychotic ass family, it was that the Hyuga were second to none.

Oh, that was definitely something she was going to confront Gaara about. There was no way in Hell he would be cornering her and overwhelming her with thick ass sexual tension when he still had some strings attached to Matsuri.

"I'll be fucked and feathered," Xin grumbled to herself, lacing her converses up. She was an absolute moron. How could she kiss that demon when his ex-girlfriend but not ex-girlfriend was still in the picture? Xin was a lot of things but she wasn't a homewrecker, that's for damn sure. "And I don't do second place," She continued to grumble.

The door suddenly slammed open, allowing Moegi to rush through. She eyed Xin nervously as she approached. "Uh...we have a problem," She said. "The scary redhead, Gaara, he was waiting out front for you so I told him it's fine to wait inside since I know he's here for you. But then the other guy, the brunet showed up."

If Xin concentrated hard enough, she could hear heated voices coming from the front. Her stomach dropped. "It was all fine, a bit awkward, but it was fine. Then out of nowhere Gaara got this weird look on his face and just punched the brunet in the mouth."

Xin pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily. "Okay. I'll handle it. Just stay back here," She muttered, still pinching her bridge. She moved around Moegi, determined to stop those two idiots before an actual fight broke out when Moegi grabbed her by the elbow.

"Are you crazy?" Moegi hissed at her, dragging her backwards. "You're 5'2 and 102 pounds, what in the world are you going to do to stop them?"

Xin scowled back at Moegi. What was with everyone and assuming that she was underweight? She was the perfect weight for someone her height. That wasn't important at the moment, she reminded herself. Two moronic demons were in the bakery, arguing about God's know.

"I'll just kick them in the dick if they don't listen. Just stay back here, alright? Please," She managed to break out of Moegi's hold. She hurried off before her coworker could stop her, darting out to the front with a quickness.

Jura and Gaara were standing at the cash register, Jura holding his aching jaw while they growled and snarled at one another. She could barely decipher what they were even saying, picking out the idle 'what the fuck is wrong with you' every now and then.

They didn't take any notice of her but that didn't stop her from rounding the counter. She eyed the two, approaching them like they were two cornered animals. She noticed, with a tight frown, that Gaara's eyes were beginning to shift to a beautiful gold. The whites of his eyes began to bleed into black and that made Xin come to a halt.

What the fuck.

She glanced at Jura, noting that while his eye color remained the same, they began to glow eerily. The whole entire situation unsettled her. She hadn't actually seen something like this happen before

Okay, what the actual fuck.

A tiny part of her told her to back the fuck up and let them sort it out themselves. They're adults, grown men, they should be able to have a conversation. But deep down Xin knows it's a stupid idea to leave them alone. She'll be damned if she has to pay for damages caused by two overgrown idiots.

"Hey!" She sprinted towards them. Neither of them paid her any mind, which didn't surprise her at all. When does anyone ever listen to her? Nonetheless she kept moving towards them. They were nearly chest to chest and Xin was positive those were fangs lengthening from Gaara's mouth.

"Gaara!" She shouted loudly, wedging herself in between the two. She curled her arms around Gaara's torso and shoved hard at his chest. The demon was so focused on Jura that he took a step back at Xin's urging. Thoughtlessly, almost like clockwork, his arm snapped around her waist as he pushed back against her. Xin stumbled backwards, only staying upright because she was clinging to Gaara like a fuckin' koala bear.

"Hey! Would you listen to me?!" Xin snapped angrily when Gaara took yet another step, forcing her to take a backwards step. "Stop being such an asshole!"

Gaara finally stopped moving, dropping his head to look directly down at her. She had to tilt her head all the way back just to look him in his freaky eyes. She blanched, suddenly realizing how intimate they were at the moment.

She really should have thought this through. "I don't know what's going on out here but it needs to stop," She said slowly, watching the dark anger swirl around in a pool of molten gold. There was also something else twisted into his eyes, mixing in with the anger, but she couldn't think of the word to describe it. "You can't fight here. If anything is damaged because you two want to be idiots, then it's _my_ ass."

Gaara finally broke his odd stare on her, picking his head back up to look at Jura. His hand suddenly felt firm against her back, heat seeping in through her thin shirt.

"Gaara," Xin urged almost desperately. "Please do not fight in here. Go outside and fight if it's that serious. What the hell are you two even fighting about?" She peeked over her shoulder. Jura was staring at Gaara's hand against her back, a very odd look on his face.

She turned back to Gaara when neither of them answered, only to see Gaara's upper lip curl into an agitated snarl. She was entranced by the length of his fangs. A weird feeling settled into her stomach and she thought about cutting her mouth on his fangs. She batted that thought away, nearly blushing. Instead she tightened her grip around his torso. "Please?"

Gaara's snarl slowly subsided and he took a step back from Jura's personal space. He didn't let go of Xin, forcing her to follow after him. "Maybe you should apologize for hitting Jura in the mouth?" She suggested carefully, nearly laughing at the annoyed expression that crossed his face almost immediately.

"I'm not doing shit," Gaara snapped, snarl coming right back. This time Xin did laugh, face cracking to show her mirth. "I'm not apologizing for hitting him. He knows what it was for."

"You sucker punched me!" Jura hissed, holding his bruised jaw. "Fuck is wrong with you?"

" _You're_ what's wrong with me."

"Don't fuckin' blame me because you can't accept the truth."

"When did I fuckin' ask for it in the first place?"

"You didn't have to hit me, you asshole."

"I was supposed to hit you _twice_ but Xin interrupted."

"Alright, alright. That's enough of that," Xin interrupted again before the semi friendly banter could turn into something hostile again. "You guys scared the shit out of Mo, by the way. Thanks for that," She huffed sarcastically, patting at Gaara's back. She wanted to tell him that it was alright to let her go but she didn't want to bring any attention to it either.

Had they been paying close attention, they would have noticed the sizable portal that appeared near the front windows of the shop. They didn't pay it any mind until balmy wind began blowing at their heads, noticeably ruffling Xin's hair.

The three of them turned towards the portal, Xin visibly tensing. Every time one of those psychedelic holes opened up, she had to run for her life. Thankfully she was trapped between two demons who would, hopefully, keep her from being harmed by whoever was about to come charging from that portal.

A tall woman stepped from the portal, dusting sand from her clothes. She was dressed in a slimming black kimono-like dress. Xin frowned at the skin the dress revealed, knowing her grandmother would have a fit at the sight of a sexualized kimono. "It's like Setsuka," She muttered, referring to yet another video game character.

The woman's hair was the color of sand and pulled away from her face, revealing attractive teal-colored eyes. Her pinks lips were drawn into a questioning frown. Her eyes swept the bakery, a thoughtful eyebrow quirking once she caught sight of the trio.

"Oh," the woman finally spoke, her voice husky and attractive. Xin continued frown, feeling quite inadequate with this tall, beautiful amazon staring her down. Why couldn't she have inherited her father's height instead of her mother's height?

No one was really reacting negatively so Xin was suspicious that they all knew each other. "So this is what you've been doing the entire time, hm? Jura never mentioned anything about a _woman_ occupying your time," the blonde mused in an almost mocking tone. "Really, Gaara, this is completely unlike you."

She was grinning like a Cheshire cat, impressively toned arms folded over her chest. "Jura said you were in Konoha with Naruto but this doesn't look much like Konoha," the woman waved her hand around almost carelessly. "And _that_ ," She pointed a long nail at Xin. "doesn't look much like Matsuri, either. No wonder she's been so irritable lately."

"Temari," Gaara finally uttered after letting the woman ramble. That was a pretty name, Xin found herself thinking. "What are you doing here?"

Temari folded her arms back over her chest again. "Just trying to see what you've been up to, is all. I was visiting Konoha—"

"You mean Shikamaru."

"—and I noticed that both you and Naruto were nowhere to be found. Interesting, yes? So I tracked you down and here I am. So, the question remains," Temari's fingers began tapping against her arm. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Temari."

Temari's easygoing disposition shattered, replaced with a tense stare. "Oh yes you do."

Xin looked back and forth between the two, feeling a little off with being stuck in the middle. She shifted, feeling the bite of his claws through her shirt. "You're starting to hurt me," She muttered quietly, nearly cringing when everyone turned to look at her. "Gaara, your nails," She reminded him in a hushed tone. The only human in the room ignored Temari and Jura's stares, squaring her shoulders under their heavy gazes.

Gaara dropped his arm slowly, holding her gaze. Xin took a cautious step back, not noticing when his stare dropped to her mouth. It was just a glance, too quick for her to even notice. "Interesting," Temari nearly crowed, pink lips pulling with her amusement. Xin offered the tall blonde a glance before hurrying back to Moegi. Temari watched the smaller woman go, eyes following her every move until she vanished behind the swinging doors. "She's not really your type, now is she?" She asked almost impishly. It wasn't often that she picked at him but then again, it wasn't often that he did something like this.

"I don't have a type," Gaara replied gruffly, listening in as Moegi berated Xin for getting in the middle of two grown men. The miko brushed her worries off, reassuring her coworker that neither of them would hurt her purposely. Gaara nearly snorted at Xin's faith in him. She was far too naive, he realized.

"Matsuri is your type," Jura pointed out stubbornly. He was openly scowling at him again. Gaara felt his temper flare at Jura's words and nearly hit him for the second time. "Not Xin."

"Xin?" Temari parroted with raised eyebrows. "That's an interesting name. What's wrong with her, she smells so.. _clean._ Who is this woman that's monopolizing all of your time?"

Gaara glared at the blonde with a stubborn hitch to his jaw. "She has nothing to do with it," Gaara snapped irritably. Jura looked unconvinced but decided not to say anything. With Xin now in the back, there was nothing to stop Gaara from punching him again.

Temari stared back at him, eyes blank. Finally, she broke her stare by closing her eyes and sighing in exasperation. "Look, Gaara, you know how impatient our father can be. I can't keep covering for you like this. At least show your face at home to appease him. It isn't right that he's taking his anger out on Kankuro and I because you've gone MIA," Temari scolded the redhead, twisting her lips in annoyance.

Gaara didn't say anything, stubbornly refusing to do so. Temari let out an irritated sigh. "I'm not sure what that girl has done to keep you so occupied but know this, brother. That girl will be in danger the more you hang around her. She's different, pure, and other demons will notice. Rasa will notice."

His short temper spiked at the mention of Rasa noticing Xin's miko heritage. He didn't care who it was, no one was coming near Xin. Be it his siblings, Rasa or even those whackjobs Masuyo and Kuraim. Not a soul would touch her and live to tell about it.

"Fine," He decided after a long moment of trying to control his fleeting temper. "I'll go back to Suna and see Rasa. But I'm not staying," he stated firmly with narrowed eyes. Again, Temari sighed but conceded. Gaara was freakishly stubborn but at least he would come to Suna for some time. She was growing weary of Rasa's inquiries about Gaara's whereabouts.

Xin chose to make her reappearance at that moment, stepping from the back with Moegi at her heels. "If you three don't mind, it's time for us to lock the bakery up..." She waved at the trio of demons. Moegi grabbed at her arm tightly, wondering why Xin seemed so relaxed around such an intimidating bunch.

Temari smiled at the smaller woman but took a step towards the door. Jura slowly followed after her, followed by Gaara and then Xin and Moegi. "Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" Moegi asked as Xin busied with locking the shop up. She dutifully ignored the three demons surrounding them, wondering why in the world Xin was involved with such odd people.

Xin only smiled as she dropped the keys into her bag. "I'm sure, Mo. I'll see you later," Xin waved goodbye and followed after the three demons. Moegi watched her go, a feeling of unease twisting her belly.

She didn't like this one bit.

* * *

TeeBeMe: Gaara has got it bad and Xin is clueless as fuck. I just love how yall look at their relationship from different points. It's interesting to hear all yall opinions. Thank you for your reviews, I appreciate them as always and I look forward to your reviews about this chapter.


	15. Don't fall in love with someone new

The walk back to the townhouse was mostly quiet. Xin wasn't sure why but there was something between the three demons that she just wasn't in on. She let out a small sigh of relief when they finally reached the townhouse, glad that Jura and Temari would finally leave them be for the night. They stayed down on the sidewalk as Gaara followed her up to the front door. She was reaching for the handle when Gaara reached passed her to grab her hand. She let out a disgruntled noise, allowing him to whirl her around to face him. Xin tilted her head back, staring up at him in confusion. "Is there something wrong?" She asked slowly, not sure what the demon was up to.

Instantly she thought about last night, being trapped against a bloodstained chest. Her face flushed and she quickly looked away, far too embarrassed to look him straight in the eye. She wasn't aware of the sharp turn their relationship had taken so suddenly and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Wherever the fuck it was going, it was staying still until she figured out how she really felt and Gaara's involvement with Matsuri.

"Xin," Gaara reached under her jaw, curling a long finger around her chin to tilt her head back up. Her eyes widened at the contact, thrown completely off by his sudden touchy-feely ways. "I have to leave."

It took her a long moment to register his words. She blinked several times before gathering her whirling thoughts. "Leave? You have to leave?" She dumbly repeated, frowning when he nodded slowly. "Okay...well why? And when are you coming…." She trailed off, snapping her mouth shut. Hadn't she been the one that told him he didn't need to look out for her? That he was free to do as he pleased?

Things were different now. They were different, they felt different about one another.

"I'm not sure, it depends on Rasa."

"Rasa? Your...father, right?"

"Right."

Xin nodded slowly, wondering when he would release her chin. "So you won't know how long you'll be gone either," She said, knowing he could see the unhappiness all in her face. She tried to shake him off but Gaara held on, not willing to let go of her just yet.

"I don't."

She nodded again, stomach twisting at the thought of him not being there. As odd as it sounded, Gaara grounded her. He'd been a firm structure these past couple of months while her life spiraled out of control. He kept her afloat, her mind sharp and her humor cutting. But he had responsibilities, a life, that he'd basically put on pause to be in Tokyo. She couldn't expect him to drop everything just to be her friend. That was selfish and she almost felt guilty for feeling so down about it.

"Are...are you even coming back?" She asked carefully, not wanting to offend him in any way. She steadily avoided his gaze, concentrating on the ground instead. Gaara didn't answer and she almost pouted. Sometimes no answer was an answer.

But then he snorted, as if insulted. "Of course I am," He rolled his eyes, like that was the stupidest thing she could have asked him. "There are some things we need to speak about. I'm coming back," He reassured her firmly, surprising her.

She could only nod for the third time. "Right, some things…" She trailed off, having a feeling he meant their complicated relationship. Hell, did she even want to dive into the mess of their relationship? Maybe putting some distance in between them would actually be good.

The corner of Gaara's lips quirked, "try to stay out of trouble, miko."

Xin snorted and rolled her eyes, having no comeback for that one. She was almost positive that it was impossible to stay out of trouble for very long. "Very funny," She muttered, nearly sighing when he finally released his hold on her chin. His hand reached around her, settling on the back of her neck to pull her forward. He leaned over her, nearly eclipsing her from Temari and Jura's view.

Xin's playful expression faltered, returning to that wide eyed look she seemed to permanently have around Gaara these days. Gaara hovered over her, mouth so close to hers that he practically swallowed her breath. She tensed, anticipating his next move. But Gaara didn't move any further, lips painfully close to hers. Instead, a dry and almost bitter laugh escaped him. It was full of frustration, aided by impatient nails pulling hard at her neck. He pulled back from her lips only to tuck his face into her neck. Her natural scent flooded his senses immediately, causing his shoulders to visibly sag. Xin's brain nearly short circuited but she pulled herself together enough to raise her arms, threading them around his torso. "Stay safe, yes?" She muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

He snorted against her neck, breath warming her chilled skin. "You're the last one that needs to say that. Stay out of trouble, woman," He was gripping hard at her neck, as if she'd get into trouble as soon as he let go. "You're prone to danger and you make dumb split decisions."

"Oh, sure, because every human being is used to some demonic shit hunting them down."

"You should be practicing your ability."

She didn't get a chance to answer because he suddenly pulled away. She shivered, mourning the loss of body heat he'd been providing since hovering over her. He brushed some hair from her face, fingers lingering before sharply turning away. Xin watched quietly as he stomped down the stairs towards Jura and Temari. The blonde looked freakishly interested, a coy smile pulling at her lips while Jura looked frustrated.

Xin kept an eye on them as the trio left, ducking inside when they vanished around the corner. Naruto and Hinata were waiting for her in the living room when she came inside. "There you are!" Naruto noticed her first, giving her his signature grin. "We were wondering what took you guys so long. Where's Gaara?"

Xin frowned thoughtfully as she approached the duo, noticing how close they were sitting to one another. She decided not to comment on it since Hinata looked extremely comfortable. "Um, he said he has to go back to Suna," She answered, sounding unsure of herself. She threw herself down on the couch, stretching to lay across their laps. She rested her head in Hinata's lap, sighing when her sister began to ease her fingers through her hair.

"What? What for?"

"To see Rasa? He didn't really say much. Another portal opened in the bakery and a blonde woman came out of it. I think her name is Temari?"

"Temari?" Naruto repeated incredulously, hands settled on the back of her legs. "Temari came to get him?"

"Yes?" Xin only frowned, not exactly sure how to be any more clear about this Temari woman coming to get Gaara. "Is she a dangerous woman?"

Naruto nearly grinned down at her, noticing her use of the term 'woman' instead of 'demon'. "Is Temari a dangerous woman? Fuck yes. She's one of the three women who can make Gaara do something without getting her throat torn out."

He tried to control his amused laughter when Xin actually pouted. She stubbornly refused to meet either of their gazes, eyelids sitting low. "Three women?"

"Temari, Karura and my mother. Temari is his older sister and Karura is his mother."

"His mother?" Hinata parroted, turning to look at him. "I don't think he's ever mentioned his mother," She looked down towards Xin. Perhaps he might have mentioned Karura to Xin? But Xin only shook her head, pout vanishing swiftly.

Naruto pulled one hand away from Xin's leg to scratch at his cheek. "He doesn't speak about Karura much. She's withdrawn from public eye due to this odd sickness she's had for years."

"Public eye? You say that like their family is royalty or something," Xin hummed casually. Naruto didn't immediately reply, causing her to look back at him. Even Hinata turned to look, just as confused as her sister. "He's not, right?" Xin pressed on, eyebrow quirked.

"Well, we wouldn't call it royalty," Naruto hummed, seeming a bit unsure of himself. "It's more like...his father is the leader of Suna. His word is law but we don't use the terms 'king' or 'queen'. That's a human thing," Naruto tried to explain it as best as he could. Xin made an odd noise in her throat but settled back down, humming in content when Hinata continued to thread her fingers through dark locks. Her finger brushed down towards Xin's neck, causing her to frown when Xin suddenly twitched. She tilted her head to the side and pushed Xin's thick mane of hair to the side to reveal her neck.

Four thin scratches ran horizontally across Xin's neck. "What on earth happened to your neck?" Hinata demanded, curling down to get a better look at the vibrant red marks.

"My neck? Oh..um..Gaara gave me a hug?" Xin answered, sounding unsure of her answer. Was he trying to give her hug or did she just assume that? It felt like it when she wrapped her arms around him.

"He hugged you?" Naruto nearly squawked.

"He hugged you? With what? His teeth?" Hinata questioned with a tight voice. Xin snorted from beneath her, amused with her sister's distress.

"He grabbed the back of my neck," Xin explained shortly. Her neck hadn't even bothered her until Hinata noticed it. "He was in a weird mood tonight, I don't know. I'll go put some bandaids on it," She decided, pushing herself up. She rolled off of Naruto and Hinata, waving them away when Hinata protested.

Hinata watched as Xin went upstairs, frowning all the while. "Naruto, is there something I should know about?" She asked, eyes trained on the staircase. There was an odd feeling settling in the pit of her stomach, tearing at her insides. Her previous conversation with her sister about Gaara was setting off warning bells in her head. Something was developing and she wasn't sure if she liked it. Naruto avoided eye contact, confirming that something was brewing and he had an idea of it. Oh, she didn't like this one bit. "Naruto," She pressed firmly.

"Aww, c'mon, moon pie. It's not my business to tell," Naruto whined childishly. He almost told her that it wasn't _her_ business either but thought better of it.

"Anything that concerns my sister is my business, Naruto. I want to know what's going on and I know you know something," Hinata pressed on in determination. Naruto eased his head back to rest on the couch, pouting all the while. Hinata had every right to be worried about her sister. Xin clearly didn't take anything seriously enough, which was worrisome since dealing with demons tended to be life or death.

"Honestly, I don't really know for sure," Naruto began to say, staring up at the ceiling. "I've never actually seen Gaara behave like this but I think he might have a crush on your sister…"

Hinata only blinked, "you think?"

Naruto didn't have to look at her to see the confusion on her face. "Yes, I think," He reached up, rubbing harshly at his face. "Gaara doesn't act like this. If he wanted Matsuri or any woman, he'd say as much. There was no flirting and dancing around each other. There really wasn't any back and forth like this involving other women, not that I think about it," Naruto began to explain, further confusing Hinata.

"Not even with Matsuri?"

"No, Matsuri made it pretty clear that she wanted the relationship. Gaara just kind of...went along with it."

"That's not making me feel any better about this at all. Doesn't he love Matsuri?"

Naruto finally sat up, sinking into the couch and folding his arms. "Doubt it—ah well, see, it's different for demons. Don't make that face. We usually don't get into relationships for love, we do it for gain," He quickly explained, noticing her frustrated look. Hinata nodded slowly, trying to wrap her brain around the new information. It sounded a lot like the political marriages she heard a lot about growing up. If she just likened it to that, it didn't seem as bad. Although, personally, she could never marry someone if it weren't for love.

"So Gaara doesn't really make an effort to pursue Matsuri."

"Or any women, for that matter. Remember, relationships are mostly for gain so Gaara would be at the top of the food chain. Because of that, he doesn't have to make much of an effort. Women kind of just...fall in line."

Hinata pursed her lips, head tilted to the side. "And Xin has been doing everything except fall in line. She has a knack for that," She admitted, sounding almost tired. The thought of Gaara harboring any romantic feelings for Xin uneased her. Xin didn't have a lot of dating experience and a demon was hardly a good start. "I'm not sure how I feel about this.." She trailed off with worry.

"Because he's a demon?" Naruto asked carefully, peeking at her to watch her expression. It didn't change much from that worried expression. She tilted her head back and forth, like she was rocking her thoughts around. It was cute.

"No, not necessarily. Well, I suppose I am a bit concerned about that but..well...Xin hasn't dated much and Gaara obviously has more experience than her. I don't want him to hurt her."

Naruto kept his gaze on her face, frowning softly. "He's going to hurt her," He said after a long moment of silence. Hinata instantly blanched, whipping her head around to stare at him. "Not intentionality. We're different, moon pie. We're literally from different realms with different cultures and ideals. He's going to hurt her."

Now that he was thinking about it, perhaps encouraging Gaara and Xin's relationship wasn't the best of ideas. At the time, it seemed like it could've been good but now that he was comparing their differences, he was reconsidering the notion. Gaara was violent, cruel and could be selfish at times. And Xin wasn't completely innocent herself. She had no qualms about stabbing Gaara or punching Jura and Matsuri. Hell, she threatened them all on several separate occasions. The woman was batshit her damn self.

Yeah, maybe encouraging this relationship wasn't such a good idea…

Well...too late now.

* * *

Gaara tried to wipe the harsh scowl off of his face as he followed behind Temari. She was trying to update him on everything that happened during his absence but hell if he was paying attention. They were currently on their way to meet with Rasa, Temari insistent on Gaara showing his face. "—You even listening to me?" Temari turned around, scowling. When she saw that he clearly wasn't, she threw her hands up in exasperation. "For shit's sake, Gaara, can you at least _try_ to care?"

"No, because I don't," Gaara replied flatly with a stubborn set to his chin.

"Act like it then," Temari hissed at him. "You've never really gotten along with Rasa before but you tolerated your responsibilities. What's different now that has you running off to the Human Realm like this?" She leaned towards him, hands on her hips. "Does it have something to do with that girl?"

Gaara bristled, glaring at his older sister. "She has nothing to do with it, I told you that," He reminded her with a irritable glint in his eye.

"Didn't seem like 'nothing' when you were saying goodbye to her. Did you kiss her goodbye?"

"No."

Temari made a long humming noise. "I never thought you would be interested in a human girl. How old is she, eighteen? That's a bit young for you, isn't it?"

"Twenty-one."

"Doesn't make much of a difference, does it?" Temari asked with a catlike smile. Gaara shot her a nasty look but didn't have a comeback for her. Xin's meager twenty-one really didn't make a difference to them, regardless she was young. "I'm just saying, I'm on your side and if I'm going to keep covering for you, I think I deserve some information on this girl."

"Her name is Xin and she's twenty-one."

"I _know_ that. How did you meet this girl?"

"She hit me with her car."

Temari blinked, wondering if she simply misheard him but when Gaara didn't correct himself, she let it go. "Okay, what's she like?" Temari continued, eager to know. She didn't care what he said, Gaara was never so fleeting with his time. Especially when it came to humans.

"She's loud, violent and oblivious."

"...she sounds like a delight."

"She also has balls made out of steel. I'm convinced there's something wrong with her."

Temari screwed her lips up in thought. "Right...and how does Matsuri feel about this friendship you two have?" She asked slowly, looking over at him as they navigated the familiar hallways. She could still remember when she would chase Gaara and Kankuro down in these same hallways as kids. She missed those times.

"She hates it," Gaara shrugged indifferently. "Not that it makes a difference since her opinion means little to me," Gaara continued in the same careless voice. Temari grimaced through a sigh. She wasn't sure why he ever bothered entertaining a relationship with the brunette. It was clear he never really wanted it in the first place.

"That's not nice," She admonished gently, shaking her head. "If Shikamaru left me for a human girl, I'd be furious."

"I didn't leave Matsuri for anyone, Temari. We weren't together, not that it makes a difference because I'm not with Xin either," He sent her a scathing look. He knew his sister's ways and her ability to easily twist words around in her favor. The demoness had a silver tongue and Rasa favored her for it.

"Oh, okay. Then I guess it's not an issue that Jura clearly has a thing for her," She said impassively, nearly laughing at the sudden stiff set of his shoulders. The next look Gaara threw at his sister was liquid fire. Temari ignored the look, feigning innocence. "What were you two even fighting about? It looked quite complicated with poor Xin literally trapped in the middle."

"A miscommunication."

"Oh?"

"Just mind your business, Temari."

Temari only rolled her eyes, not hurt at all by Gaara's short words. She relished in teasing her youngest brother whenever she got the chance. He was usually so apathetic to literally anything going on around him, it was rather difficult to rile him up. But now, along comes this height-challenged woman and suddenly he's all huffy.

Interesting.

When they find their father, he didn't react to Gaara's presence at all. In fact, he simply stared at his youngest child with a hard frown. Gaara returned his expression with a look of his own, eyes cold. "It's nice to finally see you," Rasa deadpanned after a long, silent, staring contest. "How was visiting Konoha for the last—what's it been? Two months? How is Kushina faring?"

"Konoha and Kushina are doing just fine," Gaara tried hard not to spit the words at his father. "Kushina plans on paying Mom a visit soon," He added as an afterthought. He reminded himself to actually go see Kushina and convince her to make the journey to see Karura. Temari wisely remained silent but made sure to be watchful of the two very violent men in the room.

Rasa only nodded, not too concerned with Kushina visiting. She had a knack for keeping Gaara in check as well as his mother and sister. "I have no use of you for the moment. Go see your mother, she's been asking for you," Rasa waved his two children away, turning sharply on his heel.

Gaara exhaled loudly and shoved his hands into his pockets but walked off into the direction of his mother's rooms. Temari followed behind, much to his dismay. "Will you tell Mom about Xin?"

"I don't see the need."

"Because you like her, obviously."

" _Temari_ —"

* * *

"Home sweet home!"

Xin dropped her bag and threw her head back, relishing the familiar feel of her apartment. Tenten finally deemed it safe after a week or so after Gaara vanished off to the Demon Realm. A small part of her was a bit sad to leave the townhouse and Naruto behind but she was even happier to return home.

"Oh, Tenten fixed everything," Hinata said, ducking under her sister's arms to survey the living room. The smashed coffee table and couch had seemingly returned to normal and any blood that might have been drawn was nowhere to be found.

"She couldn't have put my car back together?" Xin noted sourly, testing if her couch was really back in one piece. When it didn't crumble under her hands, she went back for her bag, eager to unpack and unwind in familiar territory. "It's nice to be back in our own space but I'm going to miss that bathtub," Xin admitted, mourning the loss of luxury.

"I'm sure Naruto and Gaara wouldn't mind us coming over to use their bathtub," Hinata chuckled while heading to the kitchen. "Just offer to cook for them, I doubt they'll say no."

Xin didn't immediately reply, frowning softly at the mention of Gaara. The scratches on the back of her neck began to tingle, causing her to slap a hand over it. He'd only been gone a week but she almost felt...lonely and without him. Which made no goddamn sense at all because she was rarely by herself these days. It was like Gaara had left a void behind that no one could fulfill, leaving her...empty.

She pulled her hand away from her neck to press against her lips, humming thoughtlessly. She could not believe she'd been stupid enough to actually kiss him. What's more is that he immediately left the next day! Was that a sign? Did that mean he didn't like it? Did he regret letting her kiss him? Xin came to a hard halt, realization dumping over her like a bucket of cold water. What the hell was she fretting for? It was the heat of the moment, that's all. It didn't mean anything and besides, he did say he was coming back and he only left because of Rasa. Not because of some impulsive kiss.

"Xin? Are you alright?"

The younger twin whipped around, hand dropping to her side. Hinata was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking at her with a face full of concern. "Um…" Xin trailed off, suddenly feeling so very small. "I'm fine...I was just.." She paused, clearly frustrated with her lack of thoughts. "Can I ask you something?" She asked slowly, almost childlike. Hinata silently nodded, bounding towards the couch. Xin joined her, rubbing at her thighs apprehensively. "Um..well..what do you think about Naruto?" She asked carefully, studying her sister's features.

"Naruto? Oh, well…" Hinata tapped her chin, eyes focused on the ceiling. "He's so nice and friendly, really easy to talk to. He's funny and even though I'm just a human, he's respectful of that," Hinata listed off quickly, surprising Xin. "Why do you ask?"

Xin shifted almost uncomfortably. "Him being a demon doesn't bother you?"

"No? Well, when I look at Naruto, I don't automatically think 'demon'. He's just..Naruto to me. He's more than just a label just like we're more than just miko. Xin..what on earth is this about? Are you alright?"

"I promise, I'm fine."

Hinata nodded but dropped her gaze back to her sister. "What do you think of Gaara?"

"He's mean and sarcastic," Xin huffed almost immediately. "But he looks out for me and he's honest with me…"

"You two seem to get along well."

"You think?"

"For someone who supposedly looks down on humans, he spends a lot of time with you."

"We were living together."

Hinata leveled Xin with a look, one eyebrow quirked. "He flirts with you a lot," She said very suddenly, catching Xin off guard. She watched in dry amusement as Xin nearly choked on her spit.

" _Flirts_? Who does? _Gaara_? Sis, are you blind and deaf? We argue all the time and he even said that I was just a form of entertainment for him. He said that shit to my face," Xin motioned wildly to her blushing face. "Who says shit like that to a girl they're trying to flirt with?"

"I doubt he meant that."

Xin opened her mouth but didn't have a proper comeback, so she snapped it closed. She sat back into the couch, folding her arms stubbornly. Hinata watched the childish display, nearly smiling all the while. Before she could say anything else, their front door opened. Karin, Suigetsu, Neji and Tenten came parading in, bringing their loud banter and heavy bags with them.

The sisters glanced at one another, silently agreeing that their conversation would be on the back burner. They both knew that the foursome wouldn't take too kindly to the topic of conversation. Xin got up first, meeting the group halfway. "Knock first!" She exclaimed with a playful huff.

Karin snorted, enveloping the smaller woman in her arms. "Since when?" She chuckled into her dark hair, hands wrapped tightly around Xin. "We never knock."

"I know but I just thought I'd say that anyway. You never know what could be going on in here," Xin replied around a wide grin.

Karin wrinkled her nose but Neji opened his mouth first before she could could belt out some snappy reply. "That isn't funny, Xin," He pointed out while patting her on the head. "You are here by yourselves, aren't you?"

"Don't be silly, you already know the answer to that," Hinata hummed, realizing their friends would be staying for quite some time. The odd conversation between sisters would really have to wait until they were alone again. Whenever that may be. "You can sense that no one else is here."

"Where's Naruto?" Tenten questioned while leading everyone to the kitchen.

"Scouting, he might come by later tonight," Hinata answered while walking towards the kitchen. "We don't have much groceries to make dinner," She confessed, glancing in their empty fridge.

"Which is why we bought groceries," Suigetsu grinned, setting his load down on the table. Hinata puckered her lips, peering around his large form at the bags on the table. Tenten and Neji added their load as well, stepping back to give Xin some room to also peer around Suigetsu.

"You guys really went grocery shopping for us?" Xin questioned, stepping close enough to dig through the bags. She pulled out packaged catfish, smiling widely. "Christ, that's so nice of you guys."

"Ain't it?" Suigetsu asked in a cheerful tone. "Now why don't ya be nice and cook some dinner for us, yeah?" He chuckled as Xin's smile fell. She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "I was thinkin' chicken katsu curry. Sounds good, yeah?"

Hinata laughed softly as Neji helped her pack the groceries away. "You guys went shopping for us just to ask us to cook for you?"

"We missed the cooking," Suigetsu whined loudly, wrapping strong arms around Xin's waist. He buried his face into her hair, taking a deep inhale. He felt like he hadn't spent enough time with the twins lately, mostly because all their time had been spent under Naruto and Gaara's watchful eyes. It was almost like the twins had no use for them and it rubbed him the wrong way.

"Tenten's parents literally own a restaurant," Xin replied, picking out the ingredients for the requested meal, ignoring Suigetsu's hug. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind feeding you vagrants."

"Course' not but we've missed your cooking. It feels like ya stopped payin' us any mind," He shot back, squeezing Xin's waist for emphasis. Xin only huffed, waving him away from her. She couldn't get much cooking done with him attached to her waist like a damn tumor. Suigetsu let her go, deciding that the food was worth letting her out of his grip. The others followed him out of the kitchen, allowing the twins more room to cook.

"So," Tenten smiled once they were all sitting at the dinner table with the food set out in front of them. "Glad to be back home?"

Hinata and Xin momentarily glanced at one another, neither willing to admit that while they did miss their apartment, something was missing. "I miss the bathtub," Xin admitted, realizing they were taking far too long to answer. "The townhouse had a really nice bathtub."

"You'll be fine," Neji waved Xin's complaint away. "Have you been practicing?" He decided to steer the conversation into a different direction. He easily caught the look between his cousins and knew they were hiding something from them. He had a feeling it had something to do with Gaara and Naruto.

"Yes," Xin rolled her eyes playfully. "Although I'm not sure if I'll really have the courage to purify a demon. They're scary as fuck and my first reaction is to haul ass."

"You stabbed a demon in the eye before."

"He was going to smash Hinata's head in, I had to do something. Besides, we immediately ran after that."

"Well, even so, you can't depend on Gaara and Naruto to keep saving you," Karin pointed out, idly stabbing at her food. The table came to a halt, the subject of Gaara and Naruto finally being brought up. None of them really wanted to question it but the friendship between the two demons and miko was...well...they weren't exactly sure of its nature. Not knowing what exactly went on between the foursome had them all wary.

"Funny thing about that is that I've never expected them to save either of us. We just get lucky," Xin shrugged nonchalantly. "But good thing they've came around, otherwise we'd be dead. Especially me," Xin said firmly, knowing her friends weren't fond of the friendship.

Hinata looked around, seeing the varying degrees of unease. She didn't even want to start talking about this subject but clearly there was no choice in the matter. "Listen, you guys, we get that Gaara and Naruto are more on the dangerous side but it can't be denied that they've helped us. Especially when you guys are unavailable."

"Yeah, especially when Masuyo knocked me on my ass—" Xin paused, realizing her mistake far too late. She snapped her mouth shut, face flushing as everyone turned to her direction.

"Masuyo? Masuyo did what?" Karin demanded, voice shrill with urgency. Hinata shot her sister a look but it was way too late to try to play it off.

"Well..um, a week or two ago I came back here to get us some extra stuff, right? Masuyo showed up and I might've made her upset so she hit me with a blast of dark energy. I was kind of out of it for awhile and the dark energy almost killed me," Xin explained in a rush, avoiding eye contact with everyone sitting at the table.

"Xin, what the actual fuck?" for once, Suigetsu was entirely upset with the younger woman.

"It's fine though! Hinata purged the energy out of me!"

"That's not the point, oh my God!" Tenten slapped her forehead, speechless with Xin's stupidity. "How could you be so careless?"

"I just wanted some extra things since we stayed longer than planned! Jura and Gaara found me and they woke me up. Gaara even carried me back to the townhouse."

"They had to wake you up and carry you back?" Neji leaned against the table.

"Yeah but I'm fine!"

"Xin, stop saying that! This isn't fine," Karin snapped, hitting the table in frustration. "You don't understand, that bitch knows where you live now. She knows where you live and you can barely summon a barrier! You are so damn stupid sometimes!"

"I'm stupid? For what, exactly?! For living my life even though it's constantly in danger? What do you suggest we do? We can't live here and you don't want us to live with Gaara and Naruto, so what's next? I'm sick of you all shitting on me for something I can't control! You're not the ones who's being hunted so until you can come up with something helpful, you can all take your criticism and negativity and you can fuck right off!"

Xin stood up, nearly knocking her chair backwards. She turned sharply and stormed away, slamming her bedroom door shut behind her. Hinata slumped into her chair, sighing heavily. "Well, you've upset her for the rest of the evening."

Karin flushed, an apologetic look on her face. "I didn't mean to upset her. I just...I just worry about you guys. You don't understand how serious this really is."

"No, we understand perfectly well," Hinata argued back in an even tone. "But you have to remember that for twenty-one years, we've been normal girls. We had no idea miko and demons and magic even existed. And now we have to master something that no one can really teach us about because of some vindictive demon from our ancestors' past. On top of all of this being flung into our faces, you guys constantly criticize and tear us down."

Various degrees of guilt crossed their faces. "So I completely agree, what do you want us to do? Here is dangerous, staying with Gaara and Naruto was our safest bet but none of you wanted that. We can't go back to our parents' home and I don't see any of you opening your doors to us," She asked, steely gaze never faltering. When they didn't immediately answer, Hinata hummed in thought and picked her chopsticks back up. She would take Xin's dinner to her after everyone was done eating. The dinner table remained silent for the rest of the meal with everyone completely avoiding Hinata's steady gaze.

They offered to help her clean up once they were done eating but she declined, wishing them a frosty goodnight. The group took the hint and left as quickly as they came, not used to having Hinata upset with them. It was easier to deal with Xin's anger. She was like a raging inferno while Hinata was more of a icy tsunami.

Hinata packed the leftover food away, sighing and missing the easy company of Gaara and Naruto.

* * *

Xin's eyes snapped open, an odd feeling settling over her. She turned on her side, seeking the bright clock number. 3:41 A.M flashed back at her, slightly confusing her. Something wasn't right and it woke her from a fitful dream. A dream that may or may not have involved a tall, demonic, redhead but she wasn't quite sure.

Nevertheless, something wasn't right and she was going to figure out what. Slowly she climbed out of bed and made her way out of her bedroom, hand glowing eerily. Contrary to what her friends believed, she'd actually been making progress with her spiritual abilities. She wasn't as proficient as Hinata but she was much better than when she first started. If they hadn't insisting on shitting on her, she would've been glad to show them.

Xin crept into her living room, ready to burn a motherfucker's face off if need be. She paused, noticing a figure reclining on her sofa. The floorboard creaked under her foot, causing the figure to stiffen. Xin let out an impressive string of curses as the figure turned to look at her. Blue eyes glowed ominously in the dark, unsettling Xin. "Naruto? Is that you? What the hell are you doing here?" Xin hissed, realizing that it was the blond demon. She never realized how unsettling his eyes could be. They were so unnaturally blue.

"You girls weren't at the townhouse when I got back."

Xin tilted her head to the side, shaking her glowing hand. "Yeah, don't you remember? We were cleared to come back here," She motioned around her apartment.

"I know that but you girls didn't even wait until I got back to leave," He pouted up at her. "I just came home to an empty house."

Xin laughed softly and rounded the couch to sit down next to him. Naruto eyed her in the darkness, sizing her up thoughtfully. She was dressed in a thin tank top and sleep shorts that couldn't be possibly comfortable to sleep in. As he continued to study her, he realized he wasn't really...attracted to her. There was no denying that Xin was freakishly pretty with a body to match but...well...he reacted more to Hinata wearing regular pants and a blouse.

The last discussion he had with Gaara jumped to the front of his mind. Even though the twins were carbon copies of one another, Gaara didn't see Hinata the way he saw Xin. He didn't see her as someone who had sex appeal because for whatever reason, he wasn't attracted to Hinata.

Suddenly, sitting next to a half-dressed Xin, Naruto completely understood where Gaara was coming from. He knew Xin was pretty and he knew that any man would be blatantly eyeing her exposed thighs or cleavage right now but he just wasn't interested. Which, to Naruto, meant that Gaara clearly had a crush on Xin. But then again, he couldn't really gloat all that much since that clearly meant he harbored a crush on Hinata as well. When did that even happen?

Huh. Interesting….

Xin broke Naruto's train of thoughts, leaning into him with a sigh. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come back here," She mumbled almost sadly, piquing his interest. He honestly felt nothing but platonic affection for the miko leaning into his side. If Hinata had been the one leaning into him, he might have panicked a little on the inside.

"Nonsense, you love your apartment," He reminded her with a grin. He didn't want to be the asshole that agreed with her even though he completely did agree. Xin and Hinata simply weren't as safe than when they were under his and Gaara's vigil. It would be harder to keep an eye on trouble-prone miko when they lived several neighborhoods away. Besides that, Masuyo clearly knew where they resided. She could literally attack the girls at any given moment and they would all be none the wiser. He knew it would be dangerous for them to live on their own but the two enjoyed their freedom and hell if he would shit on their happiness.

"Yeah, of course I do," Xin propped her head against his shoulder, sighing heavily. He noted, blankly, that she didn't quite fit him. "But everything seemed a lot better when we were living with you guys. I mean, I know Gaara dislikes me but at least he's straight-up about it."

"First, Gaara doesn't dislike you. It would make things so much easier if he actually disliked you," Naruto snorted and shifted around to throw his heavy arm across her thin shoulders. A part of him worried that both Xin and Hinata were far too fragile for demons like him and Gaara. It almost felt like he was handling glass. "And second, who dislikes you?"

"Well, I know they don't ' _dislike_ ' me but sometimes I feel like my friends...resent me for not being Jun or something. I know how serious this situation is and I'm just as frustrated as them that I haven't mastered the whole spirituality bullshit but it makes everything so much harder when they're constantly at my throat about everything I'm doing wrong and how I can't live up to Jun," Xin confessed in seemingly one breath. Naruto quietly wondered how long she'd been holding those thoughts in. "It just….it just seemed so much better when we lived together because they didn't come around as much."

A look of pure guilt twisted her pretty features, causing Naruto to pull her even closer. He rubbed at her arm in a soothing manner, trying to ease her guilt. "It's okay, Xin. We've been demons and enchantresses all of our lives, these things come easy to us. Sometimes they forget that we're all different. It's not like you and Hinata had Jun and Junko's upbringing. They were trained from the moment their abilities developed to be miko. You literally just found out like two months ago. You don't even have anyone teaching you the basics but you've improved. Every time you girls practice, my stomach feels like it's being turned in on itself."

He could nearly feel Xin's smile, she was so pleased. He nearly slumped in relief, he never could deal with an upset woman. He usually said something that would warrant a slap upside the head. But Xin wasn't hitting him so he figured he did good for once. "Thanks, Naruto. That actually made me feel better. I should get back to bed. I have work in a couple hours."

He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze before letting her go. "I, uh, I'm gonna crash on the couch. If that's okay with you, obviously…" He said quickly, a little embarrassed to admit he missed sleeping near the two miko. Something about their presence put his soul at ease. He didn't know if it was their spiritual nature of it it was knowing that they were safe that made him feel better but he decided not to question it.

Xin stood up, allowing his arm to slip off of her shoulders. "It's fine," She agreed easily, somewhat relieved that he would stay over. Besides, it might make Hinata happy to see him early for breakfast. Xin shuffled to her linen closet, grabbing a comfy blanket for him. She handed it off to him, yawning a 'good night' before heading off to bed. Naruto watched her go, waiting until she was safely tucked away to stretch out across the couch. He really wasn't sure if it was their spirituality or something else but he felt so much better sleeping right outside their doors.

Strange.

* * *

Gaara scowled brutally, storming through the halls. Weeks of slaughtering demons for Rasa and it was beginning to get under his skin. He'd been pestered into coming back home to carry out Rasa's dirty work. He should've just stayed in Tokyo with…

Dark hair and light eyes flashed through his mind but Gaara quickly shook the image away. Dark hair and light eyes could be just about anyone. He wasn't necessarily talking about that five foot nothing harpy. Bottom line, he should've stayed in Tokyo. Running around Suna, hunting down whatever demon that slighted Rasa just wasn't as fun as running around Tokyo with Naruto, hunting down runaway demons.

He shook the thoughts away, stomping into his rooms. He yanked his shirt off of his head, tossing the soiled garment to the side. He smelled like the desert sand, an unforgiving sun and freshly spilled blood. He needed a bath and he needed...he needed to get the fuck out of Suna. Before he could make another move, his door swung open and in came Matsuri. Great, just what he needed at the moment. He was already aggravated and on edge. Matsuri was just going to make his mood worse, he could just tell. Lately she had a knack for irking the living shit out of him.

"Back to business," Matsuri stated first, eyeing the bloodstained chest. She, unlike Xin, was quite used to sight and only tutted in distaste. "It's nice to know things are back to normal," She reached out, dragging a nail across his abdominals. The muscles under her nail twitched, causing the brunette to hum in appreciation. Her hands swiftly wrapped around his neck and she leaned her body weight against him. Gaara noted duly that she didn't feel right against him. But Matsuri soldiered on, leaning up and pressing her lips against his.

It felt...wrong.

Instantly he thought of a woman too short to even reach his mouth kissing him. He thought of tiny pale hands grabbing at his shoulders, digging nails into his flesh. He thought of blue hair that smelled of lavender and honey, soft skin with traces of purity intertwined in her veins and eyes like the moon. He thought of plump lips brushing against his jawline and mouth, struggling for a proper kiss. It barely counted as a kiss in the first place but it was practically engraved into his mind. He could still feel how his veins felt like liquid-fire with each press of her lips to his jaw.

Matsuri suddenly trailed her fingers down to the waistband of his pants, smiling all the while into the kiss. Before she could curl her fingers into the fabric, Gaara snatched her hand up and backed up. "I'm not staying much longer."

"You're not thinking of going back to the human realm, are you?" Matsuri blinked up at him, dismayed. When Gaara didn't immediately answer, Matsuri scowled harshly. "Gaara, you can't be serious! Your place is not in the human realm. It's here, in Suna with...with—me."

Gaara frowned, pushing her hand back. "You're not to decide where my place is."

Matsuri blinked hard and took a deep breath. She was usually so even-tempered but Gaara knew just how to press all of her buttons. "I know what this is about. It's about that girl, isn't it? You can't keep denying it, Gaara!" She snapped once she noticed his exasperated expression at the mention of a certain miko in training. "You haven't been the same since you met that damned girl. You refuse to fulfill your responsibilities, you run off to the her realm and you insist on her company. I deserve an explanation and I deserve it right now."

Gaara's eyes flashed dangerously, causing Matsuri to take a careful step back. "I think you've forgotten your place, Matsuri. I don't answer to you and even if I did, my responsibilities to Suna has nothing to do with you. Whether I take care of them or not does not directly affect you. Back off."

Matsuri's face fell as she quietly contemplated his words. Slowly she looked up at him, frowning in agitation. "It is that girl. What in the world has she done that has you acting like this? Is she an enchantress like Tenten? Is that what it is? She's got some enchantment over you."

"You think that girl is powerful enough to manage that?" Gaara asked with a snort, annoyed that once again, Xin was brought up. Everyone seemed to have an obsession with that pint-sized troublemaker. "I don't think she's capable of that, she's not an enchantress. And even if she was, I doubt she'd cast some enchantment over me."

He left out the part that Xin wouldn't actually need to cast some sort of spell over him in the first place.

"Then what is it?" Matsuri demanded tensely.

"Well, for one, she doesn't piss me off you like you do," He growled down at her, realizing how cruel he sounded. Matsuri's head twitched back like she'd been slapped but Gaara felt no sympathy. "Matsuri, this...thing between us has ended. You need to let it go."

" _Ended_?" Matsuri parroted, eyes wide. "It hasn't ended because you _still_ come to my bed."

Gaara silently cursed, he hated when Naruto was right. All those nightly romps in her bed convinced her that there was a chance they would continue their relationship. But then again, actions tended to speak louder than words so he couldn't really blame her. He couldn't carry on with Matsuri like this any longer. "That's over as well. It was a mistake to carry on like that," Gaara replied tensely, taking another step back from her. "You have to let go of the thought that you and I will continue our relationship."

"I…" Matsuri struggled to find the right words to say. She couldn't believe what he was saying. The hurt was clear in her face and it made him cringe. Even if they didn't work out romantically, he still considered her a friend. And even if he was a complete asshole, he didn't like seeing his friends hurt.

Great.

"Oh my, am I interrupting?"

The two paused, turning to look towards the doorway. A tall, lanky demon stood in the doorway. Gaara felt himself heaving a sigh. Not _this_ motherfucker, he hated this motherfucker. His name was Masaru and he, for some odd reason, had a weird vendetta against Gaara. It had something to do with Masaru's weird fascination and idolization of Rasa but Gaara never really cared enough to find out if it was true or not.

"I had no idea you were entertaining company," Masaru mused, arms folded across his chest. Gaara only leveled him with a blank look. Masaru, as usual, was full of shit and was trying to get on Gaara's nerves. "Nice to see you, Matsuri. I feel you don't visit as much when Gaara isn't around."

Matsuri took another step back away from Gaara, squaring her shoulders. She wiped her face clean of any emotion, turning towards Masaru. "I don't see the need to."

"Aw, don't be like that, Matty."

Matsuri ignored Masaru to offer a quick but curt bow to Gaara. Without saying anything else, she stalked out of the room without a backwards glance. "Wow, trouble in paradise?" Masaru grinned impishly at Gaara after watching the brunette go.

"Did you need something?" Gaara asked frostily, in no mood to deal with Masaru. He usually could deal with Masaru but his mind was addled with thoughts of Matsuri and Xin, leaving him frustrated and in a sour mood.

To his credit, Masaru rolled with the punches, grinning all the while. "Aw, don't be so cold," Masaru whined, moving closer towards Gaara. "But if you're going to be so impatient, Rasa-sama had requested your presence. He wants to know if your latest excursion was a success."

"He _knows_ it was."

"I suppose he'd rather hear you say it."

Gaara let out a long sigh, truly fed up with his father and his stupid games. It was about that time to head back to the human realm. Sure, humans were fuckin' stupid but at least he didn't have to deal with Rasa. Plus that's where Naruto, Xin and Hinata were. He should've just told his sister to fuck off that night at the bakery. "Of course he would," Gaara grouches, cracking his neck loudly. Rasa was simply using him to remind Suna's villagers of what a heartless bastard Gaara was. He always pulled this shit when he felt like his grip on Suna was slipping. It was to intimidate them, to remind them of their place. It was growing dull.

Gaara was getting sick of it.

His mind wandered to Xin, who despite being intimidated by him, just didn't back down. He outclassed her by a long shot, miko or not, but that didn't stop her from standing her ground. It was impressive that even with the scent of fear rolling off from her, she'd square her little shoulders, narrow her soft eyes and bare her dull teeth at him. It was amusing and cute and he wouldn't admit it out loud, but attractive as well…

Getting off track.

Just like his life.

* * *

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Xin exclaimed with a tray full of sweets for the display case. Moegi and Hinata shared a frown while Xin busied herself with propping the sweets behind the glass case. She hummed a tune as she did so, seemingly unaware of the girls' confusion.

"Xin...it's not even December," Hinata said with an amused look. "It's still October."

Xin briefly glanced at her. "December? Who said anything about December?"

"The most wonderful time of the year is Christmas," Moegi supplied helpfully.

" _Christmas_?" Xin made a face, huffing while turning back to the display case. "Who cares about Christmas? I'm talking about Halloween!" She insisted with a hearty shout. Moegi let out a laugh, not at all surprised. Xin seemed like the type to really like Halloween. She liked to binge watch all the Horror movies and anime there was and she loved going out on Halloween night to see all the trick or treaters.

She moved away from the display case, revealing Halloween themed treats. "Anko-san is going to love those," Moegi complimented her, impressed with the display. Xin nodded along to her words, satisfied with her work. Before Moegi could say much else, the door chimed and in came Jura. Her smile instantly dropped at the sight of the taller brunet.

It wasn't that she didn't like Jura, he was a really nice guy. She just noticed that with Gaara's sudden absence, Jura was a bit more...boldly flirtatious towards Xin. Not that she even noticed but everyone else sure did. In fact, without Gaara's frightening ass presence, a lot of their male customers were flirting with Xin again.

But Xin was too damn clueless to even notice the attention from the men or that it even ignited due to Gaara's absence. Luckily her job as a baker kept her away from the unwanted attention but that didn't stop them for taking every chance they got. What annoyed Moegi the most is that Jura wouldn't be so bold if Gaara wasn't wherever the hell he went. She wasn't sure why Xin was so oblivious that he clearly harbored a crush on her and was using Gaara's absence to his advantage.

"Hi, Jura," Moegi greeted him first before Xin even took notice of him. "Any idea when Gaara comes back to Tokyo? He went to Kyoto, right?" Moegi asked innocently, noting that Xin's head popped up at the mention of Gaara's name. Gaara was scary as fuck but Xin belonged with him. Everyone could see it except for Xin, ironically.

"Nah, not really," Jura visibly slumped, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Matsuri probably has him cornered or something," He added thoughtlessly. Hinata frowned at the mention of the brunette, glancing at her sister to study her reaction. Xin, however, didn't react to his words. Instead she opted to carefully close the display case.

"Matsuri?" Moegi prompted in confusion.

"His on again, off again, girlfriend," Jura replied almost nastily. Xin finally turned around, offering Jura a smile. He immediately felt terrible about mentioning Matsuri.

"You know, Jura, you can't keep hanging out here if you never buy anything," She added with an amused twist to her lips. "Anko notices shit like that. I know you're taller than her but that won't make a difference when she stabs you in the throat."

"Your boss is a nut," Jura whined, pouting like a kid. Xin only shrugged, not bothering to deny the statement. Anko was a bit crazy but that's what made working at Mad Batter so enjoyable. "Anyway," Jura rocked back and forth, smiling once more. "You wanna get some dinner after you get off?" He asked sincerely. Xin only blinked at him, not frowning but not smiling as well. "My treat," Jura offered after a pause.

"Oh, well...sure, why not?" Xin answered with a shrug. Moegi let out a loud groan, not caring who heard her, and slapped her forehead. Xin looked at her, clearly confused with her behavior.

Behind the register, Hinata sighed heavily. It seemed like everything had gone south the moment Gaara left for Suna. They weren't speaking to any of their friends since their blow up and Naruto had more than his hands full without Gaara's help around the city. It left both of them without a lot of protection but nothing had gone wrong so far.

Except Jura's boldness but she couldn't really be mad at the brunet. Xin didn't belong to anyone. She was allowed to spend her time with whoever she wanted, when she wanted. She had no obligations to anyone but still, the thought of her with Jura didn't fit right. Maybe she was biased because she spent more time with Gaara but Jura just didn't feel right. Which made no sense at all because he was a hell of a lot nicer than Gaara. But there was no….spark...no challenge in Jura and Xin.

"Hey, Hina, tell Naruto I'll be with Jura for a little while," Xin interrupted her whirling thoughts, reaching behind herself to untie her apron. She folded it neatly, vanishing behind their swinging doors to clean up. Hinata glanced at Jura, frowning at the lovesick smile adorning his face. She had to really wonder how his crush developed so fast. Men tended to lust after them quickly based on their appearances but none looked at them the way Jura was looking at Xin.

It was like he was head over heels.

Which made no sense because he didn't spend a lot of time with her sister. At least, not as much as Gaara.

This was all too much for her.

"Jura," Hinata called his attention away from the doors. "Make sure you look after my sister tonight," She said in a serious, no-nonsense tone. Jura nearly took a step away from the usual docile woman. The warning was clear in her voice. Nine times out of ten, she couldn't do much to actually hurt him but the fact that she seemed to have not only her friends but Naruto backing her up too intimidated the hell out of him. And hell, even Gaara.

He didn't know what exactly was going on with the quirky sisters but he knew they were in some sort of danger. He didn't know the exact details but he knew it had something to do with the purity clinging to their skin. A small part of him felt hurt that Xin didn't share whatever was going on.

He was sure Gaara knew what was going on.

Before he could sink further into his thoughts, Xin came from the back. She'd swapped her work clothes for clean clothes, her hair finally let loose from its braided bun. The blue locks fell around her face in waves, which he found too adorable. The small human waved to Hinata and Moegi, wishing Moegi a goodnight and promising to see Hinata at home in a little bit.

The two did nothing but watch as the brunet walked the bluenette out of the shop, settling his arm around her neck once they were safely outside. Xin didn't even react to it, mouth moving animatedly under Jura's adoring gaze.

"I'm adding ten more dollars to Ami's bet that Gaara is going to flip," Moegi decided after a long pause.

* * *

Masuyo smiled the moment she felt Gaara's presence fade from Suna. She knew it was only a matter of time before Gaara left for the Human realm. How that miko managed to have that demon wrapped so tightly around her finger was beyond her but it would help in the long run. She had to get rid of Xin before Kuraim escaped his imprisonment. The minute he go out, all of his time and energy would be focused on that little wench and Masuyo couldn't go through that again. She was going to make damned sure she got rid of Hyuga Xin.

Unfortunately, she couldn't do that with Gaara hanging around the miko all the damn time. She managed to come up with a plan but it depended if it actually worked out or not. Taking long strides down sanded hallways, Masuyo's smile turned into a beaming grin as she entered the main room of the compound. "Rasa!" She exclaimed jovially, feigning delight at the sight of her old friend. The older demon glanced up at the sound of his name, frowning in confusion as Masuyo approached him.

"Huh," He snorted once he recognized the white hair and dark eyes. "Well, if it isn't Masuyo. It'a been a long time since I've seen the likes of you. What brings you to Suna?"

"Oh, don't be upset with me for staying away for so long, I'm a busy woman," She chided him lightly, still grinning all the while. "How is Karura, I remember she wasn't feeling well the last time I came to visit. That was so long ago, she must be in higher spirits, yes? Where might she be? I would love to say hello."

Rasa's face visibly fell before he fixed his mask of indifference. "Karura is still very much sick. She's resting now. Perhaps later you'll be able to visit with her," He said solemnly, not noticing the look of utter delight still shining so maliciously in Masuyo's eyes.

"My, what a shame," Masuyo tutted in disappointment. "Well, I suppose that can't be helped, no? Another time, then," She decided after a moment, pouting. "Even so, I came here to ask you of a favor."

Rasa raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen you in years and that's what finally brings you here?"

Masuyo chuckled and batted her eyelashes at him. "You see, it involves your son," Masuyo revealed dramatically. Rasa stilled for only a second, knowing it was dangerous to show any weaknesses around this particular demoness. "Your youngest son, Gaara. He's always been a bit wayward and combative towards you, hasn't he? Teenage rebellion, perhaps?"

"Masuyo, I'm sure you remember I'm not fond of your silver tongue. Whatever it is you mean to tell me, spit it out already. I don't have time for your games."

"Oh, Rasa, always so impatient," Masuyo sighed in that same dramatic tone of hers. "To be frank, I have a score to settle with a woman and it would seem that the woman is under your son's protection. I would never want to cross you by attacking your son but I really need to get to that woman."

Rasa took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Masuyo, I have no interest in that boy's business—"

"The woman is a human," Masuyo cut in, nearly smirking at the look of utter disbelief crossing Rasa's face. "And not just any human woman. She's a miko," She added as an afterthought. "But fear not, my old friend, I don't believe this is Gaara's fault. I feel as though she's cast some sort of enchantment over him. Gaara is a strong demon, you know, and he would be perfect to protect her."

Masuyo's reassurance didn't seem to do much to help Rasa's rising anger but she knew it would do nothing to calm his anger. Rasa's reputation could be ruined if the wrong person discovered his supposedly ruthless son was weak for a human woman. That could not be allowed, whether he was under some spell or not.

"That idiot boy," Rasa growled, nearly breathing fire in all his anger. "I knew he wasn't off in Konoha. That moron went to the Human Realm this entire time to be led around by some second-hand miko. I'll kill him."

"Oh, Rasa, let's not be so rash. This can all be taken care of if we just get rid of the miko. The spell will be broken once she's dead. We can't just be angry with Gaara, he had no idea she had the means to control him like this."

Rasa grinded his teeth but took calming breaths. "And what would you have me to do?"

Masuyo's grin was razor-sharp.

* * *

When Gaara arrived at the townhouse, he wasn't surprised to see it empty of Naruto and the girls. He figured that in his time away the girls would eventually go back to their own apartment but it still felt...off now that they weren't there. The townhouse seemed a lot bigger now and freakishly empty. He was used to Naruto's booming laughter, Hinata's soft tones and Xin's cutting humor.

He didn't like this one bit.

So he left in search of the trio, turning up at the girls' apartment. Hinata was the first one to notice him, a smile lighting up her pretty face as he stepped into the apartment. It seemed like they still had that stupid habit of not locking their front door but with Naruto hanging around, he guessed it could slide.

"Gaara! You're back," Hinata clapped her hands together as she approached. He looked down at her, somewhat amused that she seemed to be so happy with his return. Naruto poked his head out of the bathroom, a grin overtaking his face as he realized who Hinata was talking with.

"God, finally!" He exclaimed loudly, rushing forward to throw his arms around Gaara. The redhead let out an irritable sigh but allowed his friend's affections. Naruto would literally wrestle him to the ground if he resisted too hard. "Man, it's not the same hunting down rogue demons by myself," Naruto stated when he finally let go of Gaara.

"It's true, he's been so fussy since you left," Hinata nodded along to Naruto's words, laughing when Naruto blushed heavily.

"You fussed at Hinata?" Gaara asked blankly, not impressed. He was an asshole but even he tried not to give Hinata a hard time. She was just so freakishly nice. You gained nothing by being mean to her.

Naruto feigned serious offense, mouth dropping open. "How dare you even assume I would fuss at Moonpie!" He pressed his hand to his throat. "Of course I didn't fuss at her. I was just a little grouchy every now and then."

"He and Xin butted heads a couple of times," Hinata supplied helpfully.

She really had to stop mentioning her sister to Gaara when she wasn't present because once again, that perfectly shoehorned into, "and where is Xin?"

Hinata's smile dropped for a second while Naruto looked off to the side, his hands shoved into his pockets. "Uh.." Naruto shifted his weight uneasily. "She just might be out on a date with Jura…" He finally confessed, looking back to gouge out Gaara's reaction.

Gaara tilted his head to the side, "a date?"

"Well," Hinata cleared her throat, twisting her hands behind her back. "To be fair, he didn't ask her to go out on a date, per say. He just asked her if she would like to get dinner after work, is all. It's completely innocent. Friends get dinner together all the time," She tried her best to reassure Gaara. She really didn't want to witness a murder tonight. Of course, of all the days to come back, Gaara had to choose this particular day.

"Is that so?" Gaara hummed softly. While he didn't react physically, there was something in his gaze that made the two take a cautious step back.

Hinata nodded quickly, smiling at him. "That is so," She agreed with all of her nodding. "Are you hungry? Dinner just finished, you'll join us," Hinata leaned in, grabbing him by the wrist. The motion kind of surprised him, no one was really bold enough to just grab him. Clearly if a woman like Hinata was comfortable enough to just grab him, he was losing his edge. An amused smile quirked at Naruto's mouth as he followed behind them, probably entertaining the same thought.

They were going soft for two pretty miko.

* * *

Xin smiled pleasantly as Jura led her down the streets of Tokyo, his arm thrown casually around her shoulders. She didn't think much of his shoulder being around her. Suigetsu had a habit of always throwing his arm around her shoulders and wrapping an arm around her waist. It didn't bother her at all when he male friends were affectionate towards her because it was usually platonic.

And then she remembered Moegi and Ami's words. Jura looked at her with complete adoration. He didn't look at her like Suigetsu or Naruto looked at her. There was nothing platonic in his eyes every time she happened to glance at his face. Suddenly his arm around her shoulders seemed impossibly heavy and she wanted to throw it off. She liked Jura, honest, she did. He was a nice guy, a nice friend but Xin felt nothing for him. And to be honest, she tried. She tried to feel some sort of attraction or romantic affection for him but she just couldn't.

Jura was good for her. He was kind and thoughtful and he didn't call her mean names. They never argued and Jura hadn't made any attempts to strangle her. And most importantly, she didn't have to play second place to another woman. Despite all of that, despite all of the logical reason, she couldn't find it in herself to like Jura even a little bit. It just felt all….wrong. And it made her feel guilty as fuck. She wanted to like him the way he liked her but it just wasn't in her.

She was an awful person.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Jura suddenly asked, pulling her out of turbulent thoughts. He was smiling down at her, that goofy ass smile that made her feel like complete and utter shit. She almost scowled up at him, ready to punch the shit straight off of his face. How in God's name could a demon be so freakishly nice? Maybe she'd feel just a bit better if Jura wasn't so goddamn nice to her.

But she didn't have to return feelings she didn't have, right? Anko said so and that made her feel a little better. Sure, it wasn't fair to Jura but it also wasn't fair to her either. She shouldn't have to force herself to like someone and create false feelings because she felt like she was obligated to.

"Oh, um," Xin stuttered nervously, realizing she had yet to answer his simple question. "Yeah, of course. Of course I had fun. We always have fun together when we hang out like this," She said quickly, feeling her face grow hot under his gaze. Goddammit, he was making her nervous. He was looking at her like she put the damn stars in the sky. Jesus fuck, this wasn't good.

Jura paused in front of her building, arm sliding down to her waist. Oh Goddamn everything. His other arm found its way around her waist, giving her no choice but to step closer into his embrace. Shit was about to get awkward as fuck if this was heading into the direction she thought it was. But it was heading directly in that direction and she was too shocked to do anything. She'd been kissed a handful of times, including that semi-kiss shared between her and Gaara, but she found herself drawing a blank as Jura leaned down towards her.

That had to mean something though, right? She could've easily pulled back, couldn't she? Jura was stronger than her but he would have pulled away if she resisted at all. He was too much of a good guy not to, right? So knowing all of that, why the hell did she just stand there like she didn't know what the fuck 2 plus 2 was?

He leaned down and slid his lips over hers in a very soft and what she guessed was a sensual kiss. Jura kissed her and she felt... _nothing_. It's not that it necessarily felt wrong, it's just….there was no feeling. It didn't make her heart flutter, her head spin or her toes curl. It didn't make her feel anything. He pulled back slowly, grinning bashfully as he did so. She felt her stomach churn sadly as he continued to smile down at her.

Well...fuck.

"Um—" She struggled to find something appropriate to say. "Thank you?" Her brain fizzled out, leaving her to look and sound like a complete and utter moron.

"You're welcome?" Jura chuckled down at her, one brow quirked. "Do you always thank people when they kiss you?"

Xin flushed hard and impatiently twitched. "No," She replied shortly. "Well, to be fair, I'm not kissed often enough so…"

"No? You should be," He replied evenly, making her feel more like shit. Steam could've blown out of her ears at that moment. Jura chuckled again, although this time it sounded disappointed. "You weren't into it at all, Xin," He pointed out somberly.

"What? I just—"

"Don't try to save my feelings, they just took a beating. You weren't into it and you didn't react at all. It kind of made me feel like a creep."

"Oh, Jura, you're not a creep. It was a nice kiss, it really was," She insisted almost guiltily. "It's just...well...it just—"

"Wasn't Gaara."

The color drained from Xin, leaving her a sputtering mess. "What—I—no!" She finally managed to piece together, mortified. "Jura, you've got it all wrong."

"Do I?" Jura asked curiously. "Where I'm standing, I'm seeing things just right," He shrugged a shoulder, like they were casually discussing the weather. "I like you a lot, Xin. It really makes no sense because I haven't known you that long but I know that I like you," Jura confessed, hands rubbing circles into her skin through her shirt. Xin dropped her gaze in guilt, knowing she couldn't return the confession.

"I was hoping that I was wrong about you liking Gaara but clearly I'm not. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, Xin. Going down that road with him isn't going to be easy. He's known cruelty all of his life thanks to Rasa. I'm not even sure if he's capable of returning any feelings you might have for him—"

" _—I don't—_ "

"You do. You're in denial but it's written all over your face. Look, if I'm being honest, I wouldn't approve of any romantic relationship between you two. Not because I like you but because I know Gaara in ways you don't. He's the textbook definition of a demon. He's mean, cruel and sadistic."

"You're not building a very good case for him."

"I'm being honest," Jura shook his head, uncurling one arm to press a finger to her lips. "He's one of my oldest friends, I know him."

Xin shifted uneasily, wishing he'd release her already. At this point, she just wanted to get into bed and hide under the blankets. This was all too much for her. First and foremost, out of all the men in the world, she managed to snag the romantic attentions from demons. It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. She'd been perfectly content with living her simple little life in her quiet apartment. She enjoyed going to work, even if it stressed her the fuck out. She was fine with not really dating at the moment. But now she was surrounded by folklore and danger and pining demons, apparently. When the fuck did her life come to this?

She was still somewhat unconvinced that Gaara liked her. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she liked him either but everyone else seemed to have formed their own opinions on the two of them. How could they even tell if Gaara liked her or not? All he ever did was bicker with her.

And trap her in his arms in the dead of the night to kiss her but who needs to know that?

"All I'm saying is think deeply about this, Xin. This isn't one of those manga that you're always going on about. This is real life and it's dangerous," Jura interrupted her flow of thoughts, throwing her for a loop. He had a point, as much as she liked to compare the current events of her life to manga like _InuYasha_ or _Fushi_ - _Yugi_ , it simply wasn't the case.

This was real life, not make believe printed down on paper for others to enjoy. There was no guarantee that she would get that happy ending Kagome and Miaka got at the end of their journey. Hell, there was no guarantee that she would even get an ending to this journey. Who knows if someone will get lucky and succeed in offing her.

"Yeah, I understand," She finally uttered after a long moment, too tired to deny his suspicions of crushing on Gaara. Who even knows at this point what she felt for that redheaded nightmare?

Jura nodded after a long moment. "I..I understand that you don't like me back but I hope we can still be friends," He said after a long moment, looking entirely uncomfortable. Xin only smiled sadly up at him, bitter that she couldn't get herself to like him.

"Of course we can, Jura. I would really like to still be friends," She decided firmly after a moment. Jura let out a soft laugh, sounding so wistful, before letting her go. He patted her head, wished her goodnight, and quickly vanished into the night. Xin let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping after he left. She shuffled towards her building, leaning against the wall and slowly slid down until she was crouching against it. She dropped her face into her hands and let out a low groan, mourning the loss of normality for the umpteenth time that month.

A set of footsteps caused her to stiffen but she didn't bother to look up. Hopefully whoever that was walking by would just let her have her mental breakdown in peace. No such luck because the footsteps stopped in front of her. She let out another groan, mentally preparing just in case she had to run for her fuckin' life. Xin slowly lifted her head, eyes traveling up to meet Temari's gaze. This was literally the last person she expected to even see at this point. The two women silently held their staring contest, neither of them willing to break it. "..Are you alright?" Temari broke first, asking the question very slowly.

"No."

"You having a mental break?"

"Yes."

Temari blinked down at her, watching quietly as the human rubbed harshly at her face. She pulled herself to her feet and folded her arms across her chest. "Now that that's over with," She grumbled more to herself. "Are you here to kill me? Because if so, please, get in line. It's only fair."

A smile cracked at Temari's face, a snort of humor following along. "I'm not here to kill you. I don't think Gaara would like that very much."

"Yeah, cause he's second in line."

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Peachy. Just peachy. Anyway, any specific reason why you're here if you aren't here to kill me?"

"I need to talk to Gaara."

Xin frowned, eyebrows raised. "Gaara isn't here. He went back home with you, remember? You showed up in my bakery and nagged at him until he agreed to go back."

Temari only tilted her head, blinking her pretty eyes rapidly. "Silly girl. He's up in your apartment," She said with a tilt of her lips. She suddenly glanced up, humming in thought before taking a careful step away from Xin. In turn, Xin frowned in confusion, it wasn't like she had rabies or something. "Ah, and here he comes right about now," She said in a casual tone. Xin's head twitched, unaware of what Temari meant and why she felt the need to move back. She heard an odd noise and suddenly something dropped down in front of her. She let out a startled yelp, stumbling back into the wall as her mind struggled to focus.

"Did you just—did you just _jump_ out of the window? Jesus Christ, I live on the top floor! Are you insane? What if someone saw that shit? Gaara, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Gaara briefly turned to face, eyes checking her from head to toe. Seemingly satisfied, he turned back to his sister with squared shoulders. "What?"

Temari didn't seem at all bothered by his curt tone, a knowing smile curving at her lips. "I didn't come here to hurt the human, Gaara. You can calm down, I wouldn't hurt your... _friend_. I only came to warn you about something," She told him, knowing her smile was pissing him off. Gaara didn't say anything, silently prompting her to finish. "Well, after you stormed out and left the realm again," She paused long enough to roll her eyes. "Rasa received a visitor, that damn white-haired mystic, Masuyo."

"Masuyo?" Xin practically squawked, leaning around Gaara's form to look at Temari. "You guys know Masuyo? Why didn't you mention that?!"

"Because I don't know that crazy bitch," Gaara intoned flatly.

Temari blinked at Xin, "Why on Earth do _you_ know her?"

"She wants to kill me."

"Oh. Well alright then," Temari nodded like any of this made sense. "She's an old...acquaintance of our Father. She doesn't come around often, our mother doesn't approve of her presence," She explained quickly to the confused human. "Anyway, she dropped by as soon as you left and spoke to Rasa about a favor."

"A favor?" Xin parroted, prompting Temari to chuckle at her energy.

"Yes...I think it has something to do with you," Temari looked Xin square in the face. "You're the miko she mentioned, I'm assuming. I knew something was off about you but I couldn't figure out what. It all makes sense."

Xin's face paled drastically. She suddenly grabbed at Gaara's arm, gaining his attention. He looked down at her, noting the look of panic in her eyes. "Calm down, nothing is going to happen to you."

"How do you know that?" She demanded nervously. It was already bad enough that Masuyo was hunting her down along with the rogue demon here and there. Now she had to worry about Gaara's psychotic ass father hunting her down too. If she thought Gaara was bad, she could only imagine how his father acted.

"Because _I'm_ here, you moron."

Xin's panicking seemed to have ceased with his very simple statement. "Oh."

Temari listened to the two, feeling like she was eavesdropping on a private conversation. "Well," She sighed heavily, feeling the atmosphere and becoming somewhat uncomfortable. "I told you Rasa would notice either way. But to have Masuyo...well, I can only imagine what you did to spark her ire."

"I was born," Xin replied blankly. She had yet to realize she was even clinging onto Gaara. Temari only quirked an eyebrow at her hand still curled around his bicep but said nothing about it.

"Anyway, I didn't hear much because he'd probably notice if I tried listening in too much. But I did hear her mention that Xin has cast some enchantment over you in order to secure your protection from other demons."

"Enchantment?" Gaara frowned.

"Can we even do that?" Xin blinked.

"You're the miko. You tell us."

Xin shot him a dirty look, pouting as she did so. "Oh, I wouldn't know. Let me just ask the dead miko rattling around in my head."

"You have a dead miko in your head?" Temari asked slowly, a little weirded out about this entire situation. The woman her brother was dealing with was much more complicated than she initially thought.

"Well...I don't know, maybe. Her soul is in me, apparently. We're sharing my body."

"Oh...why?"

"I don't know that either. It's complicated."

"Do you know anything?" Gaara snorted.

"I know that this is _your_ fault."

"How could this possibly be my fault?"

"My life was normal as fuck until you jumped in front of my car."

"I didn't jump in front of your car."

"Details, baby, details," Xin used Anko's line, shrugging. Gaara gave her an odd look at the use of a pet name but said nothing else.

"Can we get back on track?" Temari laughed at their banter, truly amused and somewhat disturbed with everything that was going on. "The _point_ is—" She gave them a very serious look. "Your life is in danger, miko. Even more danger than before. Masuyo is a menace but Rasa can be an absolute nightmare if he feels like he's been crossed."

"I don't even know your father to cross him in the first place," Xin let go of Gaara to throw her hands up in exasperation. "And I didn't even cast a spell on him, I'm pretty sure that's not something miko can even do," Xin insisted with a tight expression.

Temari shifted her weight in unease. "We have a certain reputation to uphold in Suna. Gaara more so than myself and my other brother. If anyone were to find out that he was put under some sort of spell by a priestess….well...it wouldn't do us any good."

"Your dad is a fuckin' tyrant, isn't he?"

The snort that escaped Temari was unlady like. "That's neither here nor there, miko. Can we focus on the fact that your life is in danger?"

"Sounds like a regular Tuesday to me," Xin replied with a careless sigh.

The older blonde turned to her brother, "What's wrong with her?"

"She experiences at least four breakdowns a day."

Temari had a thoughtful look as she nodded along to his words, like it made everything make sense. "As long as you're not worried, I guess," She shrugged with a strained smile. If this was normal for them, she had no need to worry about it. "I've said what I needed to say. I've got to get back to Suna before Rasa notices. He's gone on a rampage now that he knows you're in this realm and not Konoha."

Gaara nodded, figuring he'd deal with Rasa when the time came. For now, he had to keep a closer eye on Xin. Despite trying to convince himself that there wasn't a need to stick around, he had no choice at this point. He couldn't let Rasa kill her out of spite. Rasa's ire towards her was completely his doing. He had a feeling Rasa wouldn't bother to listen if it was mentioned that Xin had been trying to kick Gaara out of her life for the last couple of months.

Everything had gone straight to shit.

They watched Temari vanish off into the dark, the sound of a portal closing up alerting them that she was gone for the time being. The two stood outside of the building for a long time, both of them lost within their own thoughts. Xin, truly mourning the loss of her normality and what she did to deserve this bullshit and Gaara, wondering why he hadn't just killed Xin in the first place.

Xin was the first to blink out of her thoughts. She glanced up at agar, lips slightly pursed. "You know...at this point, you're just bad luck," She finally confessed after a long moment. Gaara turned sharply to look down at her, glowering at her until he noticed her sheepish grin. "Even so...welcome back," Xin hummed sincerely, truly glad that he was finally back, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud.

"...Yeah."

* * *

TeeBeMe: Alright, listen yall, I know it's also been a while since I updated this story but in my defense, Kingdom Hearts III came out in January and I had to play it. I fuckin' love Kingdom Hearts, I'm sorry. I pulled myself away from it long enough to finish this chapter. Please love me.

Lyspjmn: YOOOOO, my favorite review of all time. I fuckin' died.

NarutardKerry: Temari is both amused and weirded out by Gaara and Xin. Yeah, it'll probably be awhile until they admit it. Xin compared her life to a Shoujo-manga so we gotta throw in some drama in here. I'm so glad you like my story so much and I hope you liked the update even though there was only a bit of interaction between our two favorite idiots.

Akari: I definitely made Jura for the sole purpose of breaking his heart and I should rot in Hell for it. He's such a sweet boi and I'm an absolute bitch for doing this to him but I'm pretty sure we agreed that I'm sadistic. Gaara is in further than he thought and Xin is a straight up idiot in denial.

Amii M: Omg thank you. Yall don't understand how I tear my writing to complete shreds just for yall to think so highly of it. I hope this chapter makes you giddy and I can't wait to see them get together as well! These two are way too stubborn for their own good.

Believein15: The scene in the kitchen gave me life. I love a jealous boy, I really do, even though it's hella cliche. Xin is so fuckin' clueless sometimes it's frustrating but then I realizing I'm the one making her so damn clueless and I have a little laugh. Xin barely even realized she went on not one but TWO dates with Jura while Gaara is off pining for her, the little ingrate. And I loooove Temari, hopefully we see more of her, especially since she seems to approve of Xin.

Guest: Their relationship gives me life too. Like, whenever I realize it's time to write something steamy or something tense, I get a little giddy. I hope you were fucking hype for this update and you'll be hype for the next one.

moonlight46: She thinks he still likes Matsuri but is just being a stubborn ass about it, honestly. A dazed Xin is a cute Xin though. Gaara is a bastard but he's not going to take advantage of a girl he's crushing on that's clearly out of it. Her and Naruto are developing a sibling like relationship and I'm living for it. Everyone is so sad that Xin went out on date with Jura but ain't nobody sad for him, yall ruthless lol. Xin is obsessed with anime and manga and she's going to keep making comparisons, especially with InuYasha lol. That used to be my shit when I first got into anime so that's pretty much why.

marinaa07: Oh he's got it bad. I know Suna didn't have a big part in this chapter but we'll see more of it in the future. Gaara being so certain yet in denial of his feelings is exactly what I was going for. Like, yeah he likes her but hell if he's going to tell her or even say it out loud. Matsuri is drama and you have every right to be worried.

Allree: Rooster block, omg lol. I died. Xin's wit is so funny to write, it really helps when I get a little stuck somewhere and her wit just comes out swinging. She's such an interesting girl to write. Oh, yes, I definitely fangirl over Xin and Gaara. I mean, like yeah, Xin is just an OC but they're my OTP and can't nobody change my mind!

YaHobGOB: Gaaah, you make me happy. Hope this made you happy!

OhBabyNotMyGayAss: First of all, a RuPaul Drag-Race referece as your screen name? I am fuckin' living for it. I'm so glad you gave this story a chance and ended up liking it, thank you so much. Question, what made you hesitant about? I'm just curious. It's definitely building up, I just hope it's not too much of a slow-burn, know what I'm saying? Like, I don't want yall to get bored if I'm taking too long with their romance. I hope to see another review from you!

Guest: OMG THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I'm so glad you like not only this story but all of them. That makes me soooo happy and just grateful for yall.

Guest: Surprise! No kiss between Gaara and Xin but kisses for Gaara and Matsuri and Xin and Jura. Booooooo. It'll get better, I swear. They'll kiss and yall are gonna fuckin' love it. I. promise. Please stick around cause' they're getting there!

Yall omg, we got 90 reviews. Like I know that isn't a lot compared to a looooot of other stories but it means so much to me. I know people are like reviews shouldn't matter but they matter to me. These are yall thoughts, likes and dislikes and suggestions on how I can improve as a writer and improve the story. I don't think yall understand just how much I appreciate each and every review, long or short. I say it a lot, I know I do and yall probably getting sick of me being so sappy but I'm so fuckin' grateful that yall not only take the time to read my story about some asshole girl but also review it. Yall love Xin and I love that yall love her. So thank you all.

Okay, enough of me crying in the club lol. Masuyo is a crazy bitch and now she has Rasa involved, IT'S. ABOUT. TO. GO. DOWN. Just yall wait, yall are gonna love it. And yall are probably like "Tee, we didn't ask for kisses between Matsuri and Gaara and Jura and Xin, what the fuck are you doing, bro?" but trust me, it matters! Hope yall enjoy this update, please review and hopefully I won't take so long updating again. The more reviews, the quicker the update. Maybe. I don't know, I haven't beaten Kingdom Hearts yet.

P.S: And where the hell is some fanart for this fic anyway? I know one of yall can draw. Don't yall want me to be happy? Draw Xinny for me. It would be dope. Do I sound too demanding? i hope not. Please do it. I love stuff like that. Is my fic not good enough for art? Love me dammit!


	16. Sally’s Song

Xin was having a relatively good and normal day and that's where she fucked up at. If she'd taken the time to sit there and think about it, when was the last time she had a good, normal day? She wouldn't have been able to remember. A good day? Okay, that was plausible. Maybe. If the stars and planets aligned and the Gods of Old smiled upon her, it was highly plausible. But a normal day? Oh, heavens no. The shit didn't exist for Xin anymore and she was foolish to even think so.

One Autumn evening, after the leaves had fallen and accumulated in front of the bakery, Xin took it upon herself to clean, rake and sweep out front. The task was originally assigned to Ami but she couldn't do shit right so Xin took it upon herself to just do it. Her OCD wouldn't be able to take it if it was left up to Ami. So there she was, outside just minding her business, and living life. She had a great morning shift at _Primary Lotus_ and finished the day with a great evening shift at _Mad Batter._ She was singing softly to herself, thinking of her day when she felt something…..mischievous wash over her. It didn't feel evil, it felt like a sly little imp was waiting to play a prank on her or something.

Xin chanced a quick glance up and nearly reeled back from the person standing directly in front of her. He was tall and on the lanky side with wildly brushed sandy-blond hair. She silently stared up at him, wondering if he understood the concept of a hair brush. "Uh, sir?" She squinted up at him, feeling an odd energy rolling off of him. It wasn't evil but his energy felt...tainted. Demonic-like. Oh, for the love of fuck. No wonder Gaara gave her shit about her spacey ways. "Can I...help you?"

The last time she tried to help a demon was after she ran him over with her fuckin' car and indirectly threw her life out of whack. Maybe she should stop offering help in the first place.

The demon leaned over her, nearly curving in half to compensate for the lack of height. "You're her, aren't you?"

Xin leaned away, head twitching back on her neck as she kept his stare. "That sounds like a loaded question, sir. Could you back up a bit? You're kind of...invading my personal bubble. Well, actually you popped the shit at this point, we're sharing."

He grinned down at her, completely ignoring her words and shoved his face closer to hers. To her utter dismay and confusion, he inhaled deeply. "Oh, you are her."

Xin's grip on the broom tightened. "Sir," She openly scowled at him. "If you don't back up in the next five seconds, I'm smacking the shit out of you with this broom," She threw caution out of the window, threatening the demon through clenched teeth. She knew it was dumb to lose her temper with a demon but these motherfuckers were going to stop trying to muscle in on her.

Although this particular demon seemed more obsessed with just smelling her. Which was the weirdest thing that's happened to her when it came to these demonic motherfuckers. And that was saying something because she's experienced a lot of weird shit lately.

Heeding her warning, the lanky demon straightened up. His grin remained, thoroughly creeping Xin out. "I found you so easily and with no protection. Makes me wonder if he really does care about you," He mused around his stupid grin. "Although, I'm having a hard time believing you're the girl. You're not really his type, are you?"

Xin could feel herself losing her temper for this man. "Look," She hissed through clenched teeth. "I don't know who the hell you think you are or what you're even talking about—" that was actually a lie since she figured he had something to do with Gaara. "But I don't have the time or patience for it. So if you could exit stage left, that'd be really peachy of you."

He continued to grin down at her, fully creeping her out. "Oh, I like you. You've got spunk, definitely not what he usually goes for but that makes it even better. You'll be more fun, way more fun than Matsuri."

"Oh, here we go," Xin muttered in frustration. "Matsuri and I are two different women. We're not alike at all."

"Except that you both like Gaara."

Xin twisted her grip on the broom, wielding it like a bat. Without any warning, she swung the broom and smacked the leering demon away. He let out a surprised squawk, holding his face in surprise. "Did...did you just hit me with a broom?"

"I told you I would," Xin replied flatly, hand on her hip. "I don't know who sent you or why they sent you," She began to say, expression telling him that she wasn't impressed at all. "But I can tell you that I want no parts of it. If you have something you want to take up with Matsuri or Gaara, go find them. Not me."

The demon pouted, rubbing his face while glaring at her. "The women he picks usually aren't so violent," He practically whined, taking a step back. "You'll learn to regret that, miko. Just know that."

"Oh, yeah?" Xin raised her eyebrows at him, cocking her hip to the side. "I regret a lot of things, to be honest," Xin admitted with a blank face. "I don't think there's much you can do at this point to make me regret anything."

"Xin?"

The small woman was suddenly yanked away, nearly tripping over her feet as she landed against Karin. The demoness pulled back her lip to snarl at the tall demon, arm wrapped protectively around Xin. "Back the fuck off," She tucked Xin into her chest, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Oh, this'll be so much fun. Until next time, miko."

Karin and Xin watched the unfamiliar demon go, both frowning as he vanished into the bustling crowd. The women remained silent long after he was gone, not sure of what to say to one another. Xin had been actively avoiding her friends ever since their argument over dinner. Even when they showed up to the bakery or the gym, she outright ignored them. It was petty and childish but who ever said Xin was mature?

Once Xin realized she was still wrapped up in Karin's arms like a damn burrito, she shrugged the redhead off. Karin only sighed as Xin stubbornly turned away, resuming her task of sweeping. "Come on, Hyuga. Aren't you done with giving us the silent treatment again?"

Xin glanced up at her scowling. "No."

Karin threw her arms up in exasperation. "Listen, you little midget, it's been two days. You're going to talk to me whether you like it or not."

Xin leveled her with a blank stare. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is. So grow up and come on," Karin reached forward and grabbed the smaller woman to drag her inside the bakery. Xin only huffed and dragged her feet but didn't fight the redhead off. She passed her broom off to Moegi, ignoring the younger girl's weaker smile and dropped down at the table towards the back of the bakery.

"Well?" the miko hissed impatiently, arms folded stubbornly across her chest. "You made a big deal out of talking so go ahead, talk," She demanded hotly, ignoring the nasty look Karin sent her way.

"You don't need to be so rude about it," She snapped back, a little sick of Xin's attitude. "Look, I just….I'm sorry if we made you feel like shit, those weren't our intentions. But, Xin, look at it from my view. You've never been serious about anything and this no different. Don't you give me that look, you're never serious about anything," Karin said quickly once she noticed Xin's offended look. "This is real life, you dweeb, not manga and anime."

Xin's face flushed in annoyance but she took a deep breath to stave off her waning temper. "I know that, you lumberjack."

"Do you?" Karin pressed with a frown. "I don't think you do know that. Jun—"

"Karin," Xin leaned towards the table, scowling. "Listen to me when I say this, okay? I'm not Jun. I never will be Jun and I don't want to be her. She's dead and I'm not," Xin uttered carefully, eyes never breaking the hold she had on Karin. "If you keep on comparing me to that woman, you and I are always going to clash. I can't live up to your expectations based on a dead woman."

Karin had no comeback, allowing Xin to continue. "I know you miss her and want her to live through me but that's not fair to either of us and you know it. The miko sisters had their time."

Karin looked away, taking a deep breath. She needed to gather her whirling thoughts. It was never her intentions to set a high bar that Xin could never reach but her actions and words said otherwise. Jun and Xin were so different yet so alike, it was hard not to constantly compare them. Sometimes the two were so alike she forgot she was even dealing with Xin and not Jun.

It really wasn't fair.

"I...I didn't know that's how you felt. I didn't mean to make you feel any sort of way…" Karin finally managed to say, voice barely above a whisper. She knew Xin had an issue with people and their expectations of her. She could never live up to them. "It's just...I see so much of Jun in you, literally and figuratively and the last time I saw her, she was dead in my arms."

Xin flinched back as Karin's tone became bleak. "Jun and Junko died because we allowed them to blindly place their trust in the hands of a psychopath. I can't let the same happen to you, Xin."

"So what do you want to do, Karin? Wrap us up in bubble wrap and throw us into an attic?" Xin intoned blankly. "We're doing the best we can given the circumstances but it never seems good enough for you guys. God, it's like living with my parents all over again."

"No, Xin, it is good enough," Karin insisted quickly, face flushed with embarrassment. She was never one for these sort of talks, usually leaving them to Hinata or even Suigetsu. She was never the sentimental type and tried at all costs at avoid being so. Xin was pretty much the same, leaving the two women at a standstill. "Naruto told me about the progress you and Hinata have made," the redhead looked away, flushed face rivaling her hair.

"Yeah, well, I bet it's still shit compared to Jun and Junko," Xin replied snidely, a stubborn set to her jaw. A small part of her began to really wonder if Karin only stuck around because of the dead miko rattling around inside of them. Maybe she was under the impression that Jun would actually awaken and...take over. Maybe she was just waiting for Hyuga Xin to cease to exist.

The very thought was nearly enough to bring her to tears. Despite their constant fighting, the name-calling and the snide remarks, Karin was one of best friends. And if she only befriended them because she was waiting on some spiritual hostile takeover, it was going to break Xin's heart.

She abruptly stood, startling Karin. "I have to get back to work," She muttered softly, avoiding Karin's gaze. She was a Hyuga, dammit, and the Hyuga didn't cry. They got angry, they got cold but they didn't shed tears. Xin was more on the infamous side as she often turned her sadness into rage. Unfortunately, she was in the middle of her place of business so it wasn't like she could hulk-out then and there. It wasn't like she could knock Karin upside her head with the napkin dispenser so she had to get the hell up out of there.

Karin only watched her go, knowing that things were somehow worse. Suigetsu warned her to just leave Xin and Hinata alone for the time-being. When they wanted to talk, the two would come around. But when did she ever listen to Suigetsu?

Wonderful.

* * *

It was okay to be attracted to Xin.

That much he was sure of. Sure, she was nothing but a dumbass human but that didn't mean she wasn't a pretty dumbass human. There was nothing wrong with appreciating a pretty girl. And okay, she wasn't really his type but that didn't mean she wasn't attractive. Usually he liked his women tall, lean and unemotional. They were easier to deal with and far more sturdy. Xin was the exact opposite being short, soft and highly emotional. It felt like she could just crumble and shatter under his hands.

And unfortunately, the very thought of that excited him.

He was having more and more dreams featuring her. Which, as he said before, was completely okay because Xin was a pretty woman. He spent a lot of time with her and he hadn't had sex in awhile. It had to be normal. Except lately the dreams were less sexual and more...domesticated. For instance….this current dream he was trapped in had him feeling some sort of way…

 _Xin came bounding towards him, a genuine smile overtaking her mouth. Her entire face light up like a Christmas tree as she approached him. "Gaara!" She beamed like the damn sun as she came to a stop in front of him. She twisted her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels. "You're finally back," She sighed almost dramatically. "How's Rasa? Still the same?"_

 _Amusement flooded him but he didn't say anything to her. That didn't seem to deter her at all seeing as how she soldiered on almost thoughtlessly. "Dunno why I even asked," She shook her head and shrugged carelessly. "But at least you're finally back."_

 _She caught him off guard when she stretched to the tips of her toes and leaned her weight against him. Her arms slithered around his neck, fingernails pressing against his nape just the way he liked it. Her smile dimmed down, not nearly as bright but still just as happy and genuine. "Sometimes I think you won't even come back at all," She confessed, leaning in far too close._

 _His arms coiled around her back, hands rubbing circles into her skin. "You say that every time I leave and every time I come back," He murmured quietly, dropping his head down closer to her face._

 _"You might get bored with hanging around some human girl."_

 _"I wouldn't call 'this' hanging around and I don't think it's possible to be bored around you."_

 _Xin tilted her head back and pulled at his neck, pulling him down to closer. Her mouth met his, smile curving into the kiss and she leaned further into him. He couldn't feel a damn thing but he knew he enjoyed the kiss by the subtle slump of his shoulders. His hands dipped under her shirt, reaching up to pull at the back of her bra._

 _Xin suddenly pulled back, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Bedroom?"_

Gaara's eyes snapped open, sitting up with a hard scowl. Okay, this was getting ridiculous. Having dreams involving sex and Xin was one thing. He'd come to terms with that. He spent too much time with Xin and less time having sex so of course his subconscious would combine the two. Fine, whatever, that was all fine and dandy.

But now he was having innocent dreams about kissing the damn woman. Sex was one thing but kissing? Simple ass kissing? He was losing his shit and he was losing it fast. Just...why did it have to be her of all people? Why couldn't it have at least been a demoness? Of all the women he could have possibly gotten tangled up with, it had to be a young, _human_ , priestess. It could have been anyone else, anyone, and he would have been slightly okay with it. But no, fate had to fuck him over and stick him with that loudmouthed harpy.

And speaking of Xin, since he was already thinking about her, she seemed down after her shift at the bakery. Normally he couldn't get her to shut the hell up for more than five seconds. But today, something had gone down because Xin was as quiet as a church mouse. Hinata had no idea what could have possibly soured her mood, she'd been in classes all afternoon but he did smell Karin all over Xin.

According to Naruto, there'd been yet another fight between the twins and their group of idiotic friends. Gaara had to wonder why none of them thought before they said anything. How hard was it to just shut the hell up? So what if Xin and Hinata weren't Jun and Junko? So what if they weren't as skilled as the dead women?

What was this obsession with Jun and Junko anyway? If anything, shouldn't everyone be pissed at those two? They were the entire reason any of this shit was happening in the first place. All because they wanted to trust some sketchy ass demon in the first place.

And honestly what did anyone really expect out of Xin and Hinata? How were they supposed to be these top-notch miko when they literally just found out about their heritage a couple of months ago? Who learned shit that fast?

And okay, Xin made a pretty dumb decision when she came back to the apartment on her own and encountered Masuyo. That was dumb as all hell but there wasn't any reason to make her feel less of herself. She couldn't help that they were being hunted down by Masuyo. What were they supposed to do? Hide out in the apartment and wait for that woman to pop up?

There was a lot of things that was out of their control. That didn't make any of this their fault, they were more so the victims if anything. Gaara growled, rubbing harshly at his eyes. He was thinking way too hard about this girl and her complicated ass situation. He really had to stop thinking about this damn girl.

Oh, how the mighty fall indeed.

* * *

Xin opened the door late one night, peering into the hallway. She blinked up at Gaara, genuinely surprised to see him standing there. "Um," her eyelids fluttered quickly. "Gaara? What's up?"

Gaara shrugged and shouldered by her. "Naruto told me that you're by yourself."

"Oh, well, Hinata has the late shift tonight," Xin eased the door shut, eyeing him carefully as she followed after him. "You didn't have to come if you didn't want to. There's not much going on," She pointed out casually, veering off back towards the kitchen. Gaara only shot her a fleeting glance. "Alright, fine," She conceded with a shrug. "I was just going to watch movies and snack all night long. I made extra cookies today," Xin explained in an attempt to fill the air while Gaara flopped down on the couch. He shifted until his back was pressed to the arm of the couch.

Xin made her way from the kitchen with a plateful of cookies. She plopped down next to him, far too close, with the cookies placed in between them. He stared at her, wanting to kick her to the other side of the couch but relenting. "It's Halloween so we're watching 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and it's a classic so I don't want to hear any complaining," Xin wagged a finger at him.

He only stared back at her, unimpressed with all her finger wagging. "Start the movie before I leave," He grumbled gruffly, knowing damn well he had no intentions of leaving. Every time this girl was left on her own, bad things tended to happen to her.

Gaara didn't pay the movie any mind as it played, eyes tending to seek out Xin. She was oblivious, singing along to the songs the entire time, somehow not feeling him staring holes into her face. His gaze dropped to her mouth and for a second, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. He was having all of these stupid ass dreams about kissing her and had no idea how it actually felt. If he was being honest, it was all her damn fault anyway with that half-ass kiss she laid on him weeks ago.

Maybe...just one kiss wouldn't hurt. Just to get it out of his system. Maybe then he would stop having these creepy ass dreams about kissing her. The dreams involving sex didn't disturb him as much as the kissing ones did.

If he'd been listening to that voice in his head, he would have heard loud and clear that the idea currently brewing within his twisted mind was anything but a good idea. Their friendship was fragile and tense and the push in the wrong direction could very well ruin everything.

Perhaps that was a risk he was willing to take because he sat up just a little bit when the movie ended. She was humming to herself, probably one of the songs from that creepy ass movie she just forced him to watch, and had no idea of his plotting. If she'd been paying just a bit of attention, she might have noticed his plotting. But as usual, Xin remained oblivious to the demon's plans.

Her humming immediately ceased when he reached out and snatched her up by her wrist. Her head tilted towards him, a quizzical look twisting her lips up. Gaara said nothing, easily tugging her towards him until she was fully sprawled across his chest. Her legs straddled his waist, knees sinking into the couch cushion. A disgruntled noise sounded off from her throat as she used her free hand to swipe some of her hair out of her face.

"Gaara?" She nearly squawked, lips hovering way too close. She placed her hand on his chest and tried to push herself up, doing so awkwardly with the use of only one hand. "What...are you doing?" She asked slowly as he let go of her wrist. She used it to balance herself, pressing her hands against his chest and pushing away from him. Any thoughts of retreating were dashed when he snaked his arms around her waist.

"You started something weeks ago in the kitchen," Gaara explained shortly, smirking at her inflamed cheeks. "So finish it."

He was sure that if he bothered to reach up to touch her face, he'd burn his hand. Instead he watched, entranced, as she rolled her bottom lip into her mouth, sucking on it before sinking her teeth into it.

He didn't think she would actually listen and kiss him but she suddenly dropped her face closer to his, eyelids slowly lowering. She shifted on top of him, sinking further down on him until she was comfortable. He nearly reared up to initiate the kiss but held off, somewhat eager of her next move. He knew he wanted to kiss her but could the same be said for her?

Evidently, yes, because she reached up to cup his face with her smaller hands. Her thumbs brushed against his cheeks, an almost thoughtful look falling from her half-lidded eyes. He was impatient, arms tightening around her waist, tugging at her.

Just one kiss. He just needed one kiss to satisfy the nasty urges hiding beneath his skin. He just needed to find out if she tasted like moonbeams and honeysuckle. He'd leave her alone after that, he'd leave her be after having just one kiss from her.

"Just...one," Xin uttered softly, lips still hovering over his. One of Gaara's arms slid away from her waist, hand settling possessively at her neck. She leaned down further, body settled so deeply against him that he felt literally every curve she had to offer hidden under her clothes. His body stirred under her, hardening between her legs. He lifted his hips, pressing himself intimately between her legs and eliciting a sharp gasp from her.

Before she could finally press her mouth to his and end his suffering, keys rattled from outside the apartment door. Haze broken, Gaara shot up, nearly knocking Xin off of him. She had yet to hear the keys and was thoroughly confused by his quick actions. He pushed her away, standing up to put some much needed space in between.

Xin blinked dumbly, still unaware of his sudden shift but then she finally heard the front door open. She heard Hinata and Naruto before she saw them, giving her time to shift around until she was sitting innocently on the couch, remote in her hand.

"Xin, you're still awake," Hinata paused once she stepped into the living room. "Oh, and Gaara. I wasn't expecting you," Hinata smiled politely, sliding out of her jacket.

"I told him to drop by to check on Xin, she's a danger-magnet," Naruto confessed, eyeing the two suspiciously. "Didn't think you'd still be here though. What were you two up to?"

Xin shot a quick glance at Gaara, noting his look of indifference. Her face felt hot and she wondered if Naruto and Hinata noticed. "We were watching movies," She said slowly, remembering The Nightmare before Christmas.

"A Halloween classic," Gaara supplied tonelessly. Xin nodded along to his words, motioning to the television.

"Xin, you've got to stop forcing movies and anime onto everyone," Hinata jokingly chided, storing her bag and jacket away. She joined her sister on the couch, vaguely wondering why Gaara was standing so far away. "Tenten dropped by the bakery today."

Xin's shoulders stiffened but she didn't scowl angrily, so that was a good sign. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," Hinata nodded, ignoring her sister's tense posture. "It was thoughtful of her, I think. She asked about you."

"I'm sure Karin mentioned something to her," Xin stated thoughtlessly before her face suddenly tightened. "Oh. Shit. I forgot to mention…" She rubbed the back of her neck and looked at Gaara. "Some demon approached me."

Gaara shot her a nasty glare, "you didn't think to mention that earlier?"

"Spare me the lecture, demon," Xin grouched up at him, waving his attitude away. "He didn't say what his name was but he did mention you and Matsuri. I hit him with my broom and he told me I'd regret it."

Gaara neared her, grabbing her chin to force her to directly look into his eyes. "You're a miko, you moron. If you're going to attack demons, purify them. Don't hit them with a broom."

Xin stared up at him with wide eyes, completely silent due to his close proximity. The smell of lavender and honey assaulted his nose, causing him to back off before he did something irrational in front of Naruto and Hinata. "Purify...right…"

"Well, why don't we go looking around the neighborhood?" Naruto suggested slowly, noticing something off in the air. "Just to make sure, yeah? Come on, Gaara. Maybe we can find some poor fool and you can rip his throat out."

The two demons left, wishing the girls a goodnight as they did so. Hinata waited a good five minutes before turning towards her sister. "Did something happen?" she wasted no time, somewhat worried for her sister.

Xin blinked slowly, rubbing at her chin. "No, of course not. We just watched a movie, is all. Sometimes it's just weird to hang out with him."

Hinata only watched her, she and sister were practically on the same wavelength. She knew when her sister was lying and right now, Xin was lying her ass off. Something did happen between Gaara and Xin while they were alone, that much was obvious. Hinata just wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Her friends did have a point in saying that Gaara and Naruto were two dangerous individuals. She was getting better with her spirituality and she could just feel their dangerous aura. There was no denying the danger surrounding them. However, they were still doing what they could to look out for her and her sister. Granted, now Gaara's father had some vendetta against Xin but who could have predicted that?

"Xin, you don't...you don't like Gaara, do you?" Hinata asked slowly, truly confused about the nature of the relationship between her sister and the demon.

"This again, Hina?" Xin rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. "No, I don't like him. I don't like anyone. It's kind of hard to date at the moment, seeing as how we're being hunted."

"Do demons even date?" Hinata asked, completely ignoring her sister's statement. "Naruto said our cultures are different so maybe they don't even understand our concept of dating."

Xin hummed in acknowledgement, considering her words. She had a point, their cultures clashed on everything else, why not dating as well?

"I think dating a demon would be difficult."

"Very."

* * *

"So, are we gettin' another week of the silent treatment cuz' of Karin?" Suigetsu asked one windy afternoon. Xin paused in wrapping her hands up, glancing towards the taller demon.

"That depends," She replied calmly. "Are you here with some half-assed apology about me not being Jun?"

Suigetsu sighed heavily and dropped down in front of her, taking the boxing tape to help her. "You know she isn't good at apologizing," He spoke after a long minute of caressing her knuckles with his thumbs.

Xin rolled her eyes, shoulders slumped. "She's a grown ass woman, Sui. A simple ass 'I was wrong for making you feel like shit, I'm sorry' would have sufficed. But as usual, she had to make it about her and those damn miko twins of yours," Xin confessed in one short breath, looking quite frustrated. "I appreciate and value our friendship," She uttered slowly, looking away from Suigetsu. "But I'm not going to continue it if I have to constantly live up to your standards set by dead women. If you guys can't accept that we're not Jun and Junko, then there's no need to continue our friendship."

"Xin, don't ya think that's rash?" Suigetsu's eyes widened at her words. He was so used to having the twins around that he couldn't even picture life without the twins. Their dynamics would go to shit if the twins suddenly weren't around.

"No," Xin looked back towards him but he was too focused on wrapping her hands. "It's not rash at all…"

It was obvious that Xin's mind was made up and Suigetsu knew her well enough that once her mind was set, there was no changing it. The only one who could change her mind was herself and maybe Hinata. But anyone else trying to convince Xin to change her mind would be talking to a brick wall. He decided to leave soon after that, knowing there was no use in sticking around. Normally he would stay and watch Xin but he felt as if his presence was unwanted at this point.

"She's pretty damn stubborn, eh?"

Suigetsu frowned at the sight of Naruto. The blond was sitting at the bench directly across the street from the gym. "We switched girls today," He said with a grin, nodding towards the gym. "Keeps them on their toes, she usually expects Gaara and Moonpie expects me."

"Yer' that close?" Suigetsu tried to stay neutral when it came to Naruto and Gaara. Their involvement with the twins didn't sit well with him but there was denying that they were helping. But even so, their platonic relationship didn't sound so platonic.

"Well, she still wants to be our friend," Naruto shrugged indifferently, smiling innocently. Suigetsu's eyes narrowed but he didn't have a comeback so he simply sat down next to the blond. "I mean, I don't blame her. You guys have been acting ridiculous lately."

Suigetsu rubbed hard at his face. He knew the situation was pretty fucked when Naruto, of all people, decided to lecture him. "Ya don't know the full story, Uzumaki. Watch it."

Naruto glanced at him, still smiling innocently. "I kind of do, Sui. Xin told me all about it. See, that's the thing, you guys don't listen to them. All you do is talk at them and expect them to listen. They're your friends, not your kids.

And if we're being honest, I'd be sick of your shit too. You guys constantly throw it in their faces that they're not Jun and Junko. While we're at it, how come no one is criticizing Jun and Junko for this mess? You're mad at Xin and Hina for not being them and not Jun and Junko for starting this mess?"

Again, Suigetsu didn't have an immediate answer. "We never said anythin' about them not being Jun and Junko."

"Man, you don't have to say it outright. You guys constantly talk about them and then when they're being criticized, you bring them up. You set impossibly high standards and there's no way of reaching them."

Suigetsu took a deep breath, considering Naruto's words. When he looked at Xin and Hinata, he didn't see Jun and Junko. Sure, there were freakish similarities here and there but Hinata and Xin were two completely different women.

And if he was being honest, he preferred the younger Hyuga over their older counterparts. It was easier to be around them, easier to have fun and easier to be himself. While Jun and Junko accepted their friendship, they didn't accept them being demons. They held them at arms-length. It was never like that with Hinata and Xin, even after finding out that they were demons, it didn't matter to them. Even when they were trying to wrap their heads around anything, they never actually treated them any different.

"Closer than I thought if yer' takin' up for them like this," Suigetsu worded his sentence carefully. Again, he was neutral when it came to their friendship. Naruto and Gaara were dangerous but they were good people. Deep down, very deep but it was there nonetheless. They had no reason to actually look after the girls, they gained nothing from it.

"They're good girls," Naruto shrugged a careless shoulder. "Too good for our world and whatever's waiting for them. If you guys quit arguing so much and just focused on what's important, you wouldn't need us around so much."

It was true and the very thought frustrated him. If they could just get it together and band together like they'd been doing for years, Gaara and Naruto wouldn't be necessary. They were sending them straight for the demons.

"Real good girls," Suigetsu agreed after a long moment.

They left that subject alone after that, speaking of other things as Naruto waited for Xin's shift to end. He and Suigetsu always got on well and nothing would change that now. There was no bad blood to have between them and it would stay that way.

Naruto must have had Xin's shift memorized because he got up with no warning. He waved a quick goodbye to Suigetsu and crossed the street, arms resting at the back of his head. He waited patiently outside of _Primary Lotus_ , smiling brightly when Xin stepped outside.

True to his words, she was visibly surprised to see him. Her eyes widened, her eyebrows shot up her forehead and her mouth pinched in surprise. Naruto's arms dropped from his head, only to gather her smaller form up in a hug. It surprised her even more but then her face broke out into a lovely smile. She managed to free one of her arms to sling across his back.

"Easy, big guy," Xin laughed, feet dangling comically. "You're going to crush me."

"You weren't expecting me, were you?" Naruto crooned instead. "Man, I don't know what you see in Gaara when I'm clearly better looking."

"It's the red hair," Xin joked, patting at his back to let her down. He did so, setting her on her feet carefully. "It's more...exciting than blond hair."

"My mom is a redhead," Naruto pointed out, grin still in place. He threw a laxed arm around her shoulders and turned her in the direction of her apartment. Suigetsu watched the interaction the entire time with a soft frown. He felt a jealous pang at his chest, watching the two maneuver through Tokyo's crowded bustle.

He took it back. He was no longer neutral.

* * *

Hinata hummed to herself as she stepped out of the bathroom. She was dressed in a comfy robe with her hair wrapped in an equally comfy looking towel. She continued to hum as she rounded the couch, plopping down noisily with a satisfied grin. Xin would be back any second with their takeout and then they could finally get their movie night going.

She was a little disappointed that Tenten and Karin wouldn't be joining them but things were still awkward between them. She was hopeful that they would clear things up soon. She really missed the two of them, the four of them had such different personalities but they managed to fit well together.

It was just too bad that they all had such nasty tempers. Even she, saint that she was, had a frigid temper.

But even so, time heals all wounds. It was just a matter of who could out-stubborn who. If anyone asked her, Xin was the most stubborn out of the four of them. She knew her sister well and her sister had this odd obsession of proving herself in every aspect. Karin would break first, Hinata was sure.

Before she could even get comfortable and pick the first movie out, the front door blew open, hitting the wall with a loud crash. Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin, turning around with wide eyes. Her hands started to glow as she stood up.

Naruto and Gaara came through in a frenzy, wild eyes searching. "What? What's the matter?" Hinata asked quickly, hands sizzling out once she realized there was no danger. Gaara darted by, throwing doors open to peer in only to let out very colorful words.

"Hinata," Naruto sighed her name. "You're okay, that's great," He approached her with a grin. "Where's your sister?"

"Of course I'm okay. I was okay when you two left just two hours ago. What is this about?"

Gaara came storming out of the bathroom, looking frustrated. "Hinata, where's Xin?" He demanded tensely, confusing her even more.

"Xin is right here."

They each turned to the front hall, spotting Xin. She was holding a takeout bag and looked severely confused. "What on Earth is going on?" She blinked at them with wide eyes. "You guys look like you did fifteen lines of coke," She pointed out dryly. Gaara stomped over to her, snatching her up before she could make another snarky comment. Xin's eyes were still wide as he turned her face from side to side to check for any injuries. "Can I help you find something?"

He didn't immediately respond but allowed her to turn her face back into his direction. She frowned up at him, obviously confused by his behavior. "We ran into these demons, see, and they alluded to you two," Naruto finally decided enough was enough and began to explain their panic. "So we rushed here to make sure you two were alright."

"What did they say?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Nothing," Gaara said quickly, realizing he was still holding onto Xin. He marveled at how tiny her wrists were in his grasp.

"Nothing? Didn't seem like 'nothing'," Xin raised an eyebrow. "I could hear you guys all the way down the hall. It's a wonder no one's reported us yet," She joked with a chuckle. Gaara finally let her go, putting some much needed space in between them. "Well, in any case," She held up the bag. "I got food from Dragon's Way. You guys wanna join us for movie night?"

"That depends," Gaara intoned blankly. "Are you going to make me sit through that Halloween shit again?"

"You can't possibly tell me that you didn't enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas!"

Naruto and Hinata watched as the two walked towards the kitchen, bickering all the while. The food was passed out and Xin plopped down against the arm of the couch, pulling her legs to her chest. Without any directions, Gaara settled down next to her, boxing her in next to him.

About halfway through the first movie, he realized what a mistake it was to sit so close to Xin. He was practically drowning in her scent of honey and lavender, it was driving him up a fuckin' wall. And sure, he probably could have moved but it was far too late to move without rousing everyone's interest.

It got worse during the first twenty minutes of the second movie because Xin began shifting around. Her hips twitched and she suddenly had the nerve, the _audacity_ , to stretch her short legs across his lap.

He wasn't even sure what the third movie was about since he kept sneaking glances at Xin. He watched the twitch of her brows, the curve of her smile into the apples of her cheek and worst of all, her mouth.

Her fuckin' mouth.

He entertained the thought of just leaning over to kiss her. He was thinking too hard about actually kissing her and that's why every chance had been ruined. If he just said 'fuck it'...well, what could possibly stop him?

Naruto, bashing the back of his skull in, for one.

So he didn't end up kissing her, as one could probably figure out. By the end of the night, he was left feeling frustrated, although he was starting to get used to that sort of thing.

To his dismay, Xin ended up falling asleep at the end of the night. "Oh, Gaara, could you take Xin to her room?" Hinata asked gently once she realized her sister was knocked out. She didn't give him a chance to protest, setting off to clean the living room up. With a low grunt, he scooped Xin up, cradling her too easily against his chest.

Her room was freakishly clean, not that he was surprised. He'd only been in her room one other time but he was too distracted back then to even look around. The bed was far bigger than necessary for a small girl like her and it made him wonder who all the extra room was for.

The slumbering miko let out a small groan once he settled her under the blanket. "Gaara?" She let out another groan, lids peeling back slightly. "What happened to the movie?"

"Movie night is over, miko. You fell asleep during the fifth movie."

"Aw, dammit. I like that movie," Xin muttered, sitting up. Gaara nearly cringed away, remembering the last time he helped her to bed. She ended up stripping with him standing right in her damn face. Instead, she twisted around with her back towards him. "Can you do me a favor? Can you unbraid my hair?"

Gaara blinked down at her, momentarily stunned with such a request. "Unbraid your hair," He repeated blankly.

She turned her head towards him, bottom lip poked out into a pout. "Please? You have longer fingers, it'll be faster."

He wanted to slap her damn lip down her throat.

He was a powerful and fearsome demon. Lesser demons quivered in his fuckin' presence. A nasty look could even send some running off for their lives. He had weight to his name. And yet, here he was, babysitting a young girl and playing in her hair.

It was a long fall from the top.

He tugged at the end of her braid, eliciting a soft whine from her. Xin was far too trusting of him and it was beginning to really wear him the fuck down. He leaned closer towards her, fingers threaded into the dark blue locks. He was suffocating as the scent of honey and lavender blasted him in his face but he soldiered on until her hair fell down her back in curly waves.

Xin let out a deep breath, shoulders slumping. "See? Wasn't that easy?" She mused sleepily. Easy? Easy, she says. It'd be easy to grab her by the shoulder, shove her to her stomach and—

Nope. No. He was skirting the edge of dark territory. It was time to back the fuck up and get a grip.

A knock at the door distracted him, pulling his attention away from her tiny shoulders. "Yo, Gaara, put the princess to bed already. We gotta go," Naruto grouched through the door. He probably sounded so irritated because Gaara was taking far too long behind closed doors.

This time Xin laughed tiredly but shifted around until she was hidden under the heavy blankets. It took a lot of willpower not to slip under the comforter next to her.

She seriously had far too much room.

"Get some sleep," Gaara grunted gruffly, turning on an impatient heel. He had to get the hell out of the room before he did some dumb shit.

"Goodnight, Gaara," She called after him, voice laced with sleep. "See you tomorrow," She said through a yawn. He grunted again but offered no reply, hurrying out of the room and away from her.

It was going to hurt like Hell once he finally hit the bottom.

* * *

"Interesting that you claim you feel nothing for this girl, yet every time I come across you, she's near."

Gaara was aware of Matsuri's presence before she even spoke up. The brunette settled down next to him on the bench, folding both her arms and her legs. "Is that what you do? Follow her around like a pup? I'm not sure Rasa would approve."

The redhead sighed and leaned back into the bench. He could see through the large windows of _Primary Lotus_ , easily spotting Xin among the other men. She'd been taking a lot of shifts at the gym, seemingly avoiding _Mad_ _Batter_. Gaara was sure it had something to do with her friends. She hadn't said anything about it and it wasn't like him to pry. If she wanted to tell him about it, she would.

"And what is it that you're doing?" He asked casually, still watching Xin. He had to admit, despite being small and several times weaker, Xin was a pretty adept boxer. She wasn't particularly strong but she was nimble and strategic. She'd make a deadly enemy for demons if she mixed her purity with her fighting.

"As if I enjoy coming to this awful realm," Matsuri sniffed primly. "My reasoning for being here is to talk you out of being here. What's your reason for being here, again?"

"I don't need a reason and even if I did, it's of no concern of you. Go back to Suna."

"I will," she nearly snapped, scowling all the while. "I'm simply waiting for you to see reason and come back already. Gaara, you have no place here. You know it's not wise to mingle with the humans. They're...beneath us, they're primitive," Matsuri tried to sternly argue, wishing he would just come back already.

Perhaps he didn't want to be with her specifically but his place was still in Suna. He had responsibilities that he couldn't keep blowing off. They'd been friends before being lovers and she'd be damned if their friendship crumbled. She wanted to see him succeed, to prove himself of being worthy to Rasa. He couldn't do that if he was following after some human girl who had no sense of danger.

"Gaara," She tried again in a softer tone. "This...whatever it is between you the two of you, it won't work. You're far too different, you're from different realms, what could you possibly have in common?"

An attraction, maybe.

"She's too young. She has no experience with life, don't you think you might be too much for her? I know other people believe that you're unfeeling but you're not," Matsuri leaned into him, turning her face into his neck. "When you feel strongly, you feel too deeply. She's too young to understand you, too shallow," She grabbed onto his arm, bridging the small gap between the two of them.

Whether Gaara wanted to admit to it or not, Matsuri knew him best. She knew Xin wouldn't be able to handle the Volcano that was Gaara. They would clash and they would clash hard. His temper was legendary and Xin had a knack for pressing all of his buttons.

It would be better to end this game before things got too murky, he was already in too deep with her.

"You're too different, Gaara. She'll never understand what's expected of you as a demon. Her morals are different, her lifespan is shorter. You can't end up together, it's just not meant to be."

Gaara rolled the words around in his head. Maybe he wouldn't have been so cranky if they were words coming from Naruto but Matsuri had good points. They were different, in every sense possible, her lifespan was significantly shorter unless he took her as a lifelong mate and she was unaware of all his responsibilities.

But then he thought back to that night in the kitchen, covered in blood. He expected her to flee at the sight, anyone would. But then an odd look of curiosity and excitement flashed in her eyes and they...things began to stir.

"Don't you want to give her a chance for a normal life? She's twenty-one and inexperienced. You can't give her a normal life. She'll die."

She knew he was listening by the tightening of his jaw. She hated to upset him but he had to realize that this relationship was doomed to hell. He had to realize the mistake he was making.

Gaara didn't answer Matsuri, in fact, he didn't say a word the entire time. Instead, he focused on the tiny woman behind the glass windows. She was learning a new move, incorporating UFC moves into her boxing. It was impressive that she was learning it so quickly.

Her shift ended soon after that. A tall man with a ridiculous bowl cut hairstyle and bushy brows politely walked her outside, both chatting about the day. Matsuri seemingly perked up at the sight as the two stood out front of the gym.

"It's pretty late, Xin, I can drive you home if you want," her coworker offered politely. Xin was busily fixing her hair but smiled up at him.

"Thanks for the offer, Lee, but I'm good. Someone's on their way now to walk me home," Xin replied, tilting her smile up to him.

"Is the scary boyfriend coming or the big blond?"

Matsuri and Gaara could literally see Xin's face turning red from across the street. "I'm not dating anyone at the moment, Lee," She replied quickly, making it a point to look away. "The scary boyfriend is just a friend."

"Really? I just assumed…" Lee trailed off sheepishly. "He's just always around you and he hates when other guys look at you. He acts like a boyfriend so I just assumed…"

Xin laughed and shook her head. "Well, no one thinks I can handle anything so most of the men in my life behaves that way around me. Although to be fair, I make awful decisions," She replied while leaning against the front of the building. "He's..he's a really good friend."

"Hear that?" Matsuri nearly crowed in delight. "A really good friend, Gaara. You're a really good friend. Maybe this Lee wants to date her?"

He decided at that moment that he had quite enough of Matsuri's silver words. He pulled roughly away from her, causing her to nearly fall over without his sturdy support. "Go back to Suna, Matsuri. I've got things to do."

Gaara stalked across the street, leaving Matsuri and her words behind. There was no denying that Matsuri's words had some weight to them. He and Xin were perpetually different but he couldn't be bothered to think about that right now.

Lee noticed him first and even though he was told Gaara was just a friend, he took a careful step back. Although he knew perfectly well that Lee had no romantic interest in Xin, his hand found its way to the small of her back as a greeting.

Xin's head tilted back, eyes falling on him. "Oh, speak of the Devil. Hi, Gaara," She offered a pretty smile and he nearly dropped a kiss to her mouth. He could practically feel Matsuri staring holes into his back but he paid it no mind, eyes focused on Xin's smile. "Lee offered me a ride home but I told him I was waiting on your big scary ass."

He finally acknowledged Lee, nodding his head. He could just tell by the look in Lee's eye that he wasn't the least bit interested in Xin. Matsuri was full of shit and he was dumb enough to be jealous of nothing.

"Since you're taken care of, I'll see you later, Xin-san," Lee offered them a smile and turned away, heading for his car. The two watched him go, Xin cheerfully waving as he drove by them.

Gaara's hand didn't move from her body even when they started the walk back to her apartment. He slid his hand up her back and settled his arm around her neck. She was used to this sort of treatment from both Gaara and Naruto and didn't even think to question it. It was comfortably quiet before Gaara decided to speak up. "You think we're good friends?" He asked with almost a leer. Again, Xin's face flushed heavily under his gaze.

"You heard that?"

"I'm a demon, we have super hearing."

"That would've been nice to know. You probably heard me talking shit all those times?"

"I heard some things but I let it go since they were pretty creative. For someone with the face of a baby cherub, you've got the mouth of a demon," Gaara commented casually. He missed the smile that pulled at her lips, feeling bashful that he compared her to a baby angel.

"Well, anyway, yeah I think we're good friends," She cleared her throat once she realized she hadn't said anything. "I mean, we aren't enemies or strangers, right? We got off on the wrong foot but I usually get off on the wrong foot with everyone."

"We're not enemies or strangers," Gaara confirmed quietly, wondering if he was okay with just being friends. Friends didn't kiss each other nor did they lust violently after one another. They didn't want to drag their friends to bed and destroy their body.

Something was seriously wrong with him.

"Which means we're friends," Xin sung cheerfully, seemingly pleased with their friendship. "Who would have thought, huh? We absolutely hated one another when we first met."

"You hit me with your car, I think that was a good enough reason."

"You strangled me more than once."

Gaara shrugged, jostling her little shoulders almost comically. He obviously wasn't satisfied with their relationship as just being friends but he wasn't sure if he actually wanted a relationship with her. He'd been in a relationship with Matsuri for years and was unsatisfied with it. Now comes along this human girl and he couldn't get his shit together.

"Do you ever think that maybe we could—"

Gaara came to a stop, staring ahead at the front of Xin's building. Karin and Tenten were hanging out near the doors, obviously waiting for Xin to return home. Whatever she was about to say died on her tongue, frustrating him to no end. He wanted to know, maybe they could what? Maybe he could drag her up to her room and fuck her until she couldn't see straight. Maybe he could do a lot of things.

Xin deflated under his arm, mirroring his mood. "There goes my night," She grumbled softly, a heavy sigh following suit. "They're the most stubborn people I've ever met…"

Gaara let out a dry chuckle. She had a lot of nerve, complaining about stubbornness. He dropped his mouth down closer to her ear. "You can't avoid them forever."

Xin nearly flinched away, red dusting at her cheeks. "Yeah...yeah, I know. But I can't keep forgiving them for the same thing over and over again. It's getting old," Xin grouched tiredly. Karin sensed them approaching first, red eyes narrowing at the sight of Gaara's arm casually hanging around Xin's shoulders. His arm dropped from her shoulders, settling on the small of her back once more.

"Another time, Xin," Gaara said after a pause, not wanting to leave but knowing his time was up for the night. Xin's mouth twisted, as if she wanted to protest, but thought better of it. Instead, she nodded obediently and stepped away from him.

"Right, another time," Xin agreed softly, feeling his fingertips brush at her back as she walked away. She offered him a quick smile thrown over her shoulder before approaching her friends, casually waving at them. Gaara watched as Karin and Tenten wrapped Xin up in a bubble, Karin glaring back at him the entire time.

Gaara vaguely wondered when that time would present itself.

* * *

 _"Do you ever think that maybe we could—"_

Maybe they could what?

 _"Do…do you w—"_

Did he what? Did he want her?

There were far too many questions weighing on his mind and it was driving him up a fuckin' wall. He wanted to strangle Xin and Matsuri for all of the bullshit they were putting in his head lately. The demon rubbed harshly at his face, scowling angrily. Enough was enough.

The portal opened slowly into Xin's living room, leaving Gaara behind after a small pop. He vaguely wondered if Xin managed to sort out her issues with Karin and Tenten, he had no time for interruptions. If one more person stopped him, he was going to have a conniption.

Xin was in the kitchen, dressed in her usual fashion of a twisted tank top and shorts that made him uncomfortable. She turned at the last second, clearly confused to see him. "Gaara? It's midnight, what the hell are you doing here?" She questioned, completely caught off guard. He didn't answer, stalking up to her and standing over her. She turned fully, pressing her back to the counter. "Gaara?" Xin pressed, worry dancing in her eyes as he remained silent.

"This has to end, Xin. It has to end tonight," Gaara finally uttered after a long moment, dark eyes turning her stomach nervously.

"End? What has to end?"

"This," Gaara spat at her. "This _thing_ between us. You're driving me crazy, Xin, and it's ending. Tonight," He continued to snap, watching as she clutched at the counter. "Enough interruptions, enough unanswered questions, enough games. Enough."

"I...I don't understand," She was confused, rightfully so, but not afraid. She didn't move away but she didn't move towards him either. "I'm not playing any games with you, I don't know what you're talking about," Xin said, clutching too tightly at the counter. "You're...you're too close…"

"Maybe we could what, Xin? What were you going to say earlier before Karin and Tenten showed up at your apartment today?" Gaara asked firmly, dropping his head closer to her face. Xin's eyes were the size of dinner plates as she regarded the taller demon.

Xin pulled her hands away from the counter, reaching up to press them against his chest. "I was..I wasn't going to say anything."

He knew right then and there that Tenten and Karin most likely put it back into her head that he was dangerous. That whatever thoughts she was entertaining about him were unsafe and risky. To be honest, whatever was telling her to listen to them was right. He was a danger to her.

"Are you afraid of me?" He asked instead, pretty blue eyes flickering. He could practically taste the fear rolling off from her skin. But as usual, she surprised him as the smell of her fear began to mix and mingle with the smell of excitement.

"I.." her face twisted stubbornly. "A little bit, yes," Xin admitted after a long moment. "You could knock my head off my shoulders at any given moment…" She trailed off, trying to take another step back. The counter pressed tightly against her waist, stopping her from moving all together.

"You think I'll kill you."

"Well, you can easily do it," Xin argued with a soft frown. "But..I don't think you will, I'd hope you wouldn't. Things have changed, haven't they?" She tilted her face back up towards him, big eyes open and trusting. "You look out for me and save me and you spend time with me. You wouldn't want to kill me, would you? After all this time?"

Too much had changed and that was the problem. Of course he wouldn't kill her but he'd end up hurting her. Some way, somehow, he was going to hurt this little miko. But he was a selfish motherfucker and he couldn't be bothered to think about that.

"No, not after all of this time," He confirmed quietly, watching in near dismay as a smile pulled at her plump lips. He reached up, fingers trailing up her tiny body slowly, and cupped her face. Her dark brows pulled at the movement, confusion written all over her face.

His eyes focused on her lips, eyes darkening with desire with once more. She didn't notice, softly calling his name. Her fingers tapped at his chest, seemingly waiting for his next move. His mouth dropped closer to hers. "Enough games," He muttered before finally, finally, swooping down to kiss her. She gasped hard and nearly reeled back, stopping when his hand slid around to cup the back of her head. Her fingers tightened in the material of his shirt as if in thought but she didn't pull back.

He pulled away with a pop, dark eyes watching for her reaction. He was right to assume that any other woman after kissing Xin would be ruined. It was a simple press of the lips but he felt like he was drowning in her mouth. Her lids pulled back halfway, dazed eyes seeking him out. "Oh."

Her hands pulled at his shirt after a long pause, prompting him closer. He didn't need anything else, dropping down to kiss her for the second time. His veins were light on fire the moment she reacted, tilting her head back to return his kiss. Both of his arms dropped to her thin waist, hauling her against him until there was no room left to speak of between them. Xin pulled her hands from his shirt only to wrap them tightly around his neck, nearly on the tips of her toes.

Her head was spinning and her lips were throbbing but she didn't want it to end. Gaara squeezed tighter, threatening to break her in half, when her teeth bit down on his bottom lip. He pulled back with a grunt, a little caught off guard by her boldness. Her eyes popped open wide, nervous that she'd done something wrong. They were walking a thin rope and the smallest mistake could break them.

Gaara's hands fell to her thighs, surprising her even more, when he gripped at the soft flesh. His nails threatened to sink into her skin as he lifted her with ease to deposit her on the counter. She leaned into him as he folded over her, hands dipping under her shirt to press against the skin of her back. Her legs parted for him, slipping around his waist and fitting snugly at his hips.

His next kiss was bruising, unforgiving and hard. She gasped into his mouth, giving him the perfect opportunity to slide his tongue by her parted lips. His tongue twisted, curling around her own and eliciting a muffled groan from her. Xin pressed harder against him, nails digging into the skin of neck. It was his turn to groan into her mouth, causing her to tighten her grip at his neck.

Gaara finally pulled himself away, blood roaring in his ears at the sound of her pained whine. She took a greedy gulp of air while he busied at her jaw, peppering errant kisses from her smooth jaw down to her neck. Her head tilted to the side, hair brushing his cheek as he focused on the pulse strumming beneath her pale skin. Sharp canines brushed against her skin, irritating it but soothing it immediately with a brush of his tongue.

He repeated the process several times, leaving behind kisses that bruised. By tomorrow, her neck and throat would be a macabre patchwork of bruises. The thought of it excited him and he considered dragging her to her bedroom to continue the act along the entire length of her body. He could just smell the arousal dampening her shorts and he was too eager to get in between her legs.

 _Too soon_ , he reminded himself to control his urges. She was ready to fall to pieces at any moment and all he'd done was kiss her. She was young and still very inexperienced. He couldn't just rush her into anything, even if he did want to throw her down and fuck her until she couldn't say anything but his name. He waited this long for her, he could wait a little longer to fully have her. And to hell with what anyone had to say, she would be his wholeheartedly.

"Gaara," her soft whisper broke him from his thoughts, causing him to look up into her clouded eyes. She was pouting, full lip poking out and just begging to be swallowed by his mouth once more. "Please…" Xin uttered breathlessly, eyes flickering over his shoulder towards her bedroom. His grip on her back tightened and his stance became heavier.

 _Too soon_.

He chanted the phrase in his head, reminding himself that it would be much sweeter when she was his completely. He had to have her completely to himself before taking her to bed.

Her lips sent a shock to his system when they suddenly pressed against his jawline. She followed his earlier example, trailing kisses down towards the pulse in his neck. "Why'd you stop? Why'd you stop?" She repeated almost desperately, sucking at the pulse obsessively. "Please don't stop. Please? Please touch me," She spoke against his neck, hand coming up to cup his cheek.

She had to stop. They had to stop immediately or irreversible things would happen. Gaara reached up and grabbed at her hand to pull away from his face. He straightened up, trying hard to ignore her frantic protests. The demon caught her other wrist and pulled her wandering hands back to her lap. "Xin, we have to stop. You have to stop."

"But...but why?" She demanded faintly. "You said no more games, right? It has to end tonight," She reminded him, thighs clenching tightly around his waist. She was easily going to be his downfall.

"Because you aren't mine," Gaara uttered quietly. She was different, she wasn't like the women he dealt with in the past. She deserved more than a frenzied fuck in her kitchen because he couldn't control himself. She deserved more than having her virginity violently stolen away. And he couldn't do anything but be violent. She had to understand that if they would ever share themselves with one another.

"I can be," She said quickly, sounding so desperate.

Gaara let out a dry laugh, "you don't know what you're asking for, miko."

A protest bubbled from her throat but she stopped, frowning regretfully. "Do..do you know what you want?" She asked carefully as embarrassment began to settle in. She tried to give herself to him only to be rejected. Jesus Christ, had she lost her mind?

"Yeah," Gaara replied simply, eyes boring into hers. "Yeah, I know what I want. It's just not that easy though. There's too much that...could go wrong," He tried to explain his whirling thoughts to her. He realized he was doing a shit job at it by the look of pure confusion on her face.

After all, he came storming into her kitchen at midnight and stoked an unknown fire within her. He kissed and touched her only to back off the moment she returned the favor. She had every right to be thoroughly confused by his actions. Her legs slowly fell away from his waist, her face burning bright.

"Why...why don't we talk in the morning?" She tried slowly as he took a step away. "I'm...I'm confused but don't run off. Just...sleep on the couch and we can talk after Hinata goes to classes. I won't kiss you or anything, we can talk with clear heads, okay?" Xin slid off of the counter and began fixing her rumpled attire. "Gaara?" She pressed once she realized he hadn't answered. "Please? Please say you'll stay."

He was a fool to deny her anything. He knew this but conceded anyway, nodding silently. She rolled her lips into her mouth, trying to stave off her triumphant smile. She danced around him, backing away from him. "Xin?" He called after her, turning around as she paused at the doorway. "...Do you know what you want?"

She stared at him with nothing but trust in her eyes. "...Yeah, I think I do."

* * *

Hinata wasn't surprised at all to see Gaara slumbering on the couch the very next morning. She offered him a smile, completely unaware of what had taken place between him and her sister only hours ago. He cracked an eye open as she breezed by him. "Hinata," He greeted tiredly.

"Good morning, Gaara. Xin is still sleeping. She'll probably sleep for awhile, today's her day off from the bakery and the gym. Feel free to help yourself to the kitchen, okay? I have to get to class," Hinata offered nicely. He wondered if she would be so nice if she saw her sister's neck. He only offered a wave, the best he could do, before she left to start her day.

He left Xin to sleep, briefly leaving the apartment to clean himself up. He was back at her apartment within an hour and she was still sleeping. Still, he left her to bed, knowing today could possibly get messy when she finally got up.

It wasn't until noon that things went to shit. Matsuri showed up in the form of a portal, looking a little upset to find him there. But it was clear that she wasn't shocked at all. She stood over him with her hands propped against her hips. He dully noted that her hips aren't as wide and fleshy as Xin's hips and that bothered him.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" She asked in exasperation. "The miko is sleeping and you're just waiting around for her. My, how the mighty fall…"

He was in no mood for Matsuri and her scathing words. "What do you want, Matsuri? Didn't I tell you to return to Suna yesterday?" Gaara slouched into the couch, sifting through his hair.

"I just want to talk to you. I think I deserve that, at least," Matsuri admitted firmly. "We can talk on the roof, that way we'll have some privacy but you won't stray too far from your human," her fists tightened against her hips but she said nothing more, a stubborn set to her jaw.

"Alright," Gaara agreed, knowing that she really did deserve that much. He'd dropped a bomb on her last time, severing any romantic involvement without even asking to talk about it. She devoted years to him and she deserved some sort of closure. He left with her after making sure Xin was actually still asleep.

It was an hour later when Xin finally stirred from sleep. She groaned and rolled over, checking the time. She'd slept in, something that hadn't happened for a long time. She felt refreshed even though she'd gone to bed late last night.

Her face flushed heavily as the events came flooding back. She sat up, running her fingers down her bruised throat. Sighing heavily at her impulsive actions, she got out of bed and prepared herself for the day and the upcoming talk she would have with Gaara.

Her neck was as bad as she assumed, studying the bruised skin in the mirror. God, she'd have to hide that from her friends. Hinata would be a bit more understanding but the others wouldn't approve. She was finally back on speaking terms with Karin and Tenten and now her neck was covered in passion marks from the very demon they warned her about.

She was a glutton for punishment.

Luckily the Autumn weather was beginning to get colder so no one would question the oversized sweater. She adjusted the clothing until one side was pulled down her shoulder. It was enough to hide the bruised size of her neck, satisfying her. She continued to dress, pulling on a pair of black tights. Gaara wasn't in the living room but she wasn't upset about it. She was aware of him being up on the roof, vaguely hearing him talking through her sleep. With nothing left to do, she made her way up to the roof, smiling all the while.

She was still embarrassed by her wanton ways but reminded herself that Gaara came onto her first. He was clearly interested in her and that made her all too happy. She'd been agonizing over her developing crush for weeks on end. She was under the impression that he wasn't interested in her at all despite their almost kisses.

Xin climbed the stairs leading to the roof, still thinking about the turbulent relationship she shared with the demon. She had to wonder what exactly prompted him to stop so suddenly last night. They'd been going at it hard and fast and it was suddenly like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. Was it something physically that stopped him or was it a mental issue? An emotional problem? Maybe he wasn't as interested as he thought he was? Maybe she wasn't that great a kisser? Maybe she was too...much for him? Was it her being a human? A miko?

Xin paused on the staircase, frowning distastefully. She had far too many questions and no answers. It wouldn't do her any good until she got Gaara to start talking.

The miko opened the door to the roof, eyes calmly sweeping the area only to freeze in her spot. There was Gaara, alright, with his arms full of Matsuri. The brunette was leaning into him, hands fisted in the front of his shirt as they shared an almost desperate kiss. Xin felt like someone poured ice into her veins. They were so wrapped up in one another that neither demon took notice of her. She watched the exchange quietly before deciding that she had quite enough of the intimate embrace.

Turning sharply to storm back down the stairs, she ran face first into a broad chest. Whoever she ran into caught her easily, hands clamping down on her shoulders. "Oh my," a voice tutted cruelly. "Poor girl."

Xin pulled her face away from the chest, paling as she stared up at Masaru.

* * *

"Matsuri," Gaara scowled angrily as he finally yanked Matsuri away from his mouth. He was beginning to get so used to easily toting Xin around that he forgot how much strength he really needed. "You said you wanted to talk. That was not talking."

Matsuri frowned sadly up at him, trying hard to mask the guilt in her eyes. "Gaara, I love you, okay? I loved you since I first saw you, just know that. I only did the things I did because I care for you. You're blinded by that human."

He glared down at her, too angry to decipher the guilt hidden in her words. "I thought I told you—"

The door to the roof slammed open, distracting him. "Well!" a familiar voice crowed jovially. Gaara closed his eyes and sighed heavily, not in the mood for Masaru. He was never in the mood for that weird motherfucker but now was certainly not the time. "An interesting turn of events, wouldn't you say?"

He opened his eyes, ready to unleash verbal Hell on Masaru, only to stop at the peculiar sight that greeted him. Masaru was grinning at him from across the rooftop, a small figure slung over his shoulder.

"You know, if we're being honest here, I'm pretty impressed. You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you? You've got Matsuri all over you and she's pretty sexy, isn't she? Tall and lean, you like your women firm, don't you? On the other hand, we've also got this short little vixen. Sure, she's not Matsuri but she's soft and thick. I actually quite like the feel of her," the demon reached up, hand settling perversely over the figure's ass.

A rage began to form in the pit of Gaara's stomach as Masaru continued his mistration. "She might not be sturdy but who says soft isn't fuckable? What's the saying? More cushion for the pushing? I'll take this one off of your hands. You seem so busy with Matsuri anyway, I'm sure Xin understands. She did just witness that heated exchange between the two of you. She's a smart girl, she put two and two together."

Gaara decided right then and there that he would kill Masaru. He always threatened to kill him but now he would definitely kill him. "Matsuri, move."

"Gaara, please—"

"Move."

Matsuri did the opposite, clinging even harder to Gaara. He wouldn't hurt her, that was a given. He was ruthless and cruel but he proved that he would never physically harm her. She was now using that against him. "She's made you weak and has blinded you, Gaara. This is for the best, I promise you. Everything will be alright once she's out of the picture."

A portal opened up behind Masaru and Gaara actually felt himself begin to panic. Masaru only grinned widely at him before turning, allowing a brief glimpse into Xin's unconscious face. He stepped into the portal with a quickness, taking Xin with him. There was a muffled scream but Gaara couldn't tell if it was coming from him or Matsuri.

The portal snapped shut soundly.

* * *

TeeBeMe: *whistles the tune of Don't Trust Me*. Hope yall enjoyed!


	17. Don't be cruel

Xin's eyes snapped open the minute her face hit the ground. Tears gathered at her eyes as the stinging settled in but she didn't have time to adjust. A hand dipped into her hair, fingers tightening in the locks to pull her to her knees. She gritted her teeth, inhaling sharply as pain bloomed from her scalp. Masaru stared down at her, a satisfied grin tugging at his lips. Whoever had her hair in a vice-like grip managed to tighten their hold, causing the tears to gush down her cheeks. "I told you that you would regret it, miko."

Xin immediately scowled up at him. "Fuck off," her lip pulled back into a vicious scowl.

The swift slap was enough to wipe the scowl from her face. "Now, miko, try to behave, yes? We can't have you mouthing off to Rasa, can we? It's in poor taste!" Masaru carried on as if he hadn't just viciously slapped the living daylights out of her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're really annoying?"

Xin blacked out after the punch to the side of her head.

It wasn't long before she woke up again, thrown over someone's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She scowled, vaguely feeling the hand rubbing a bit too intimately at her thigh. "I'm glad you're awake again, miko," Masaru spoke without bothering to look at her, somehow knowing that she was awake. "Now, remember as I said before, no mouthing off. Rasa isn't as forgiving and will have you killed immediately, understand?" he rambled on casually. Xin didn't react to his words, opting to keep quiet for the time being. Instead she hung limply, wondering how on Earth she was supposed to get out of this particular mess. If she was being taken to Rasa, that meant she was in Suna.

Christ and all twelve, she was in the Demon Realm.

A coldness settled over Xin as realization sunk in. She wasn't even in her realm anymore. This wasn't like those family trips to America or Egypt. She was literally in an entirely different realm surrounded by a different race. What's worse is that no one even knew she'd been spirited away to Suna in the first place.

Fuck, she was going to die here.

Her thoughts were halted when Masaru dramatically threw open heavy doors, sweeping sand everywhere. She couldn't see anything, as she was still slung over the shoulder, but she heard the room quiet down as Masaru paraded her in like some trophy kill. She hoped he would hurry things along, the shoulder digging into her stomach was becoming uncomfortable.

She was dragged from the shoulder and set on unsteady feet, hands tightly held behind her back. She was practically surrounded by a court of severe looking demons but one demon stood out in particular. She could only assume the demon glaring down at her like she was filth was none other than Rasa. She could see the similarities Gaara shared with Rasa, especially that evil ass look on his face.

Masaru leaned towards Xin. "Kneel, human."

Xin glanced at Masaru, eyebrows raised. "To General Zod?" she asked, knowing the comic book nod would be lost on a bunch of demons. "I think I'll pass."

The demon behind her growled and kicked at her legs, forcing her to her knees. "What did I tell you?" Masaru hissed down at her, eyes darting between her and Rasa. Xin didn't say anything, too busy agonizing over the pain blooming from her knees. "Do you want to die?"

"That's a dumbass question since you motherfuckers are going to kill me regardless!" Xin snapped back, hair flying wildly as she turned to glare at Masaru. She was fed up with him in particular, wishing she had a bat to swing at his head. A hand suddenly reached towards her, grabbing at her face. Masaru and Xin's bickering ceased the moment her face was wrenched upwards at an angle.

Rasa stared down at her, glare now gone. His expression was blank as he pulled her face into different directions, quietly studying her features. "This...is the girl that has my son's attention?" he asked after a long pause. "You've cast some sort of spell over him."

"Newsflash, Genius," Xin openly scowled up at him. "I'm a priestess, not a witch. I don't cast spells."

She probably deserved that backhanded slap.

Xin didn't immediately pick herself up off the floor, opting to quietly lay there and wonder where she'd went wrong. Her face was throbbing hotly and felt wet but she didn't move. Maybe if she laid still, they'd think she was dead and just leave her there. No such luck but a girl could hope. She was hauled back up, revealing the gushing wound across her cheek. Rasa tutted at the sight. "Humans," he shook his head. "Such weak creatures. I don't understand the fascination my son has with you but you understand that it will stop. I've given him enough free reign but playtime is over. You will end whatever hold you have on him."

She was a bit dazed from his slap. "Maybe if you ask me nicely."

She definitely deserved that next punch to the head.

* * *

Gaara wasn't sure how Naruto knew to get to the roof but he was the only reason he hadn't strangled Matsuri to death. "Come on, man!" Naruto raged, hauling him away from the demoness. "What the hell is going on?!"

"What did you do?!" Gaara demanded.

"I had to do it!" Matsuri shouted, holding her throat. A bruise was already forming. "You were becoming weak to her, all you did was follow her around and keep her out of danger! What about Suna? What about me?"

Naruto planted his feet and wrapped his arm around Gaara's torso. He grunted as Gaara fought to get out of his hold. "Oi, oi! Would you take it easy?! There's no need for this to get violent!" he snapped over the couple's yelling. Any minute now Xin would join them, threatening to hit them with her bat if they didn't stop all their yelling. She never came and that worried him. Matsuri and Gaara stopped shouting at the same time, Gaara glaring threateningly over Naruto's shoulder. "Finally! Now someone explain what the fuck is going on."

"Gaara, just listen for once!" Matsuri said before Gaara could threaten her. "She's no good for you, I tried to make you see and understand it before it was too late but you refused. I didn't have a choice."

"What's too late?" Naruto frowned, realizing that he didn't know much. "What's going on?"

"Xin is gone," Gaara spat, mean eyes never swaying from Matsuri.

" _Gone_? The fuck do you mean she's gone?" Naruto's own eyes began to narrow dangerously. "Gone where?"

Matsuri shifted uneasily. "She was weakening him and Rasa isn't happy about it. She's been taken to Suna to be dealt with accordingly."

They both stared at her, the air thickening with tension. "Accordingly?" Naruto repeated with a squawk. "Rasa is going to deal with her accordingly? Are you insane?! She'll be killed, you jealous harpy!"

He wasn't sure how they knew but Neji, Tenten, Suigetsu and Karin chose that exact moment to join them. Maybe it was all the violent energy that attracted them but they didn't seem happy at all. Tenten stepped forward from the group, glancing in between the three of them. "Where's Xin?" she asked curiously. They knew Hinata was busy with her morning classes but that didn't explain the empty apartment below them.

Naruto and Gaara glanced at one another, knowing things were going to get even messier now that the gang was here. "Suna," Gaara answered simply, not offering anything else.

"Suna?" Karin repeated, shoving by Tenten. "What do you mean she's in Suna?"

"Masaru took her to Suna as per Rasa's orders. She will be dealt with accordingly," Matsuri repeated, eyes slowly meeting Gaara's heated gaze. She'd seen him lose his temper many times before but not once was he ever this angry with her. Karin reached for her, snatching the other demoness up.

"Dealt with?" she hissed, fangs glinting under the morning sun. "Xin isn't under his jurisdiction so I don't see the need for her to be dealt with by him. You know what's about to happen? I'm about to deal with _you_ ," she snarled directly into her face. For once he and Karin were on the same page because Gaara was seconds away from strangling Matsuri.

"Guys, we don't have time for this," Tenten said urgently, looking around. "We need to figure out how to get her back and someone needs to go get Hinata. We're all gathered here arguing, Masuyo could attack her at any moment."

Naruto's face paled and he nearly stepped away from Gaara, ready to dart off to retrieve Hinata. Once she was told the news of her sister's kidnapping, who knows how she'll react. A part of him felt like he was responsible for Xin being spirited away. If he'd just been there instead of slacking off, Xin would still be with them. He hated the thought of Hinata being upset.

Neji noticed his look and frowned. "I'll go get Hinata," he turned sharply, not giving Naruto enough time to argue the matter, and stormed away.

"Karin, come on, let her go," Tenten urged quietly, pulling at the redhead's hands. "Attacking her won't bring Xin back. We need to calm down and think of a plan. Let's all go back inside and figure this out.."

One way or another, Tenten managed to get Karin to let go of Matsuri. She eased the angry redhead away, shooting looks over her shoulder at the remaining demons before vanishing back into the building. Suigetsu watched them go, taking a deep breath once they were gone. He turned back towards Naruto, Gaara and Matsuri, realizing just how complicated things had gotten with their presence.

"Well, ya really fucked up this time, yeah?"

* * *

Temari quietly watched as Xin's eyes began to twitch under her eyelids. She hadn't been unconscious long but the blonde was still concerned her brain had been rattled around inside her head. She thought the punch to the head was a bit excessive but it certainly wasn't her place to question Rasa. Instead she took the girl away to her room to recuperate, promising Rasa she'd keep an eye on her until she woke up. Xin twitched, groaning as she slowly woke up. Temari leaned over her, patiently waiting as the human gathered her wits. "Well," she said after a long pause of staring at one another. "My brother wasn't kidding when he said you have balls of steel," she commented with an amused smile. "Now tell me, are you really that courageous or are you dumb?"

"Well, it tends to go hand in hand," Xin commented dryly, slowly sitting up. "Does your dad always go around punching people in the head?"

"Honestly? No. It's a wonder you're still even alive after mouthing off like that. People have died for lesser offenses," Temari replied seriously, worried for Xin. It was obvious that this girl would not last long in their realm if left unattended.

"Well, to be fair, I'm really not a witch."

Temari only shook her head, deflating somewhat. "Try to understand, Xin. Reputation is everything and the fact that my brother is being led astray by a human girl is...well…it's almost laughable."

"No, I do get it. I understand what reputations can mean a little too well. Even so, shouldn't Rasa be taking this issue up with Gaara and not me? I already told him that there's no spell."

"He doesn't believe you," Temari replied quickly. "He's known Masuyo for decades, he's going to take her word over yours. She's well-versed in the mystic arts so if she says there's been a spell casting, then who are we to question that?"

"But miko can't cast spells. We heal, protect and purify but casting spells? Why on Earth would I cast a spell on Gaara in the first place?"

"According to Masuyo, for his protection," Temari shrugged a shoulder, realizing they were talking in circles. Xin blew at her hair, clearly fed up with the conversation. "You...you know how to heal?"

"More or less. I'm not an expert and I'm still learning," Xin replied, rubbing at her head. She thought back to all the late nights, toiling away with Hinata in an effort to learn how to control their spirituality. Hinata was better at creating barriers and healing while Xin had more of a knack for attacking.

Temari nodded slowly, like she was thinking hard about something. "I'm going to try to keep you alive but you have to work with me, miko. Keep your mouth shut until I can figure something out, alright?"

"Figure out what?" Xin asked blankly, rubbing at the side of her head. She was positive that if she parted her hair, a bruise had formed from the two punches she'd taken the to the head. It was like Rasa had already known she'd been sucker punched and made sure to target that side of her head. "You obviously can't just rip open a portal and push me through or you'll get into trouble."

Temari nodded, glad that Xin didn't expect much from her. "Unfortunately, I don't have the pull that Gaara does when it comes to Rasa so I can't go against his orders. We'll have to play the waiting game until Gaara comes for you."

The demoness noticed the immediate shift in Xin's posture at the mention of Gaara coming for her. She closed in on herself, a soft frown replacing her once blank expression. "He's probably still too busy with Matsuri to notice I've been snatched."

"Matsuri? Why would he be busy with her?"

"Because they were practically devouring each other when that freak Masaru got a hold of me," Xin replied sourly. She cupped her neck, remembering the bruised pattern of flesh leading down the column of her neck. She should've known that the kisses shared between them weren't genuine. Why on Earth would he actually be interested in her anyway? She was a human and he, a demon. They were as different as day and night. He was probably just getting cabin fever from being stuck with her and acted on impulse. He couldn't possibly have any interest in her. It was just...desperation.

"Was he?" Temari asked with high eyebrows. Last she heard, the relationship her brother shared with Matsuri had definitely soured. And although Gaara said otherwise, she knew Xin was partially the reason. Sure, maybe he wanted to end the relationship with Matsuri but Xin was definitely the push he needed to cut all romantic ties with Matsuri. Gaara harbored feelings for Xin. Maybe it was just because she was his sister but Temari just knew he liked Xin. And if her pouting was anything to go by, those feelings were returned.

This was all very...interesting.

"That...there has to be an explanation for that. I know for a fact that Gaara and Matsuri aren't together anymore."

"You sure? It looked like a whole lot of 'together' was going on before I was smacked into unconsciousness," Xin while avoiding Temari's gaze. She was not jealous, she just spent the last two weeks trying to convince her friends that she didn't like that redheaded nightmare. Just because they had one moment did not mean shit. If he wanted to be with Matsuri, then by all means. However, whether he decided to be with Matsuri or not, he owed it to Xin to get her back. The only reason she was stuck in the Demon Realm was because his father had some bogus idea of her casting some spell over him.

Which was fuckin' ridiculous. She was a miko, dammit, not a witch. Did witches even exist? She wouldn't be surprised, seeing as how folklore was running rampant. Even so, she was having enough trouble wrapping her head around demons, she didn't have time for some _Harry Potter_ bullshit to happen. A line had to be drawn somewhere.

Temari studied the younger woman thoughtfully, taking in her defensive posture. "I'm sure he'll explain himself."

Xin only shrugged, feigning indifference. She didn't have time for Gaara's wishy-washy ways. It was obvious that Temari wasn't going to stick her neck out to save her and she couldn't just wait around for Gaara to finally pull himself from Matsuri. She had to get the hell out and she had to do it soon. She was surrounded by demons, yes, but she was a priestess, damn it. She had the power to purify these motherfuckers. To Hell with what Gaara said about her being a healer, a protector. Regardless, Xin was a fighter in every sense. Physically, emotionally and mentally.

If she was going to die, she wasn't going to wait around for them to kill her.

She was going to get the hell out of here.

* * *

Bringing Hinata home early to an apartment full of folklore yet minus one miko was not a good idea. Gaara could've told any one of them that but he chose to remain quiet, angrily glaring at Matsuri. Naruto sat in between them, the only thing stopping him from slapping her. "Neji, would you please slow down? What is this even about? You can't just pull me out of class and not explain anything," Hinata admonished her older cousin, barely missing the group's presence. She stopped short at the sight of everyone, confusion clear on her face. "What...is something going on?"

Her eyes skipped over everyone's faces, squinting at the sight of Matsuri. Alarm bells went off in her head once she realized Xin was the only one absent. Her gaze jumped Xin's bedroom, frowning when Xin didn't come parading out. Several gazes shifted around the room, almost nervously. There was no telling how Hinata would react. While she was usually docile and calm, she tended to get rattled whenever Xin was involved.

Hinata pulled away from Neji to journey towards Gaara. It made sense, when she left only an hour or two ago, Gaara was present with her sister. She stopped at the side of the couch, gripping the arm as she bent at the waist. Her eyes were wide, an eerie look plastered on her face as she studied the demon. "Where's my sister?" It was like the temperature had dropped fifteen degrees. Matsuri, partially hidden behind Naruto, leaned away. Luckily for her, Hinata's gaze didn't stray from Gaara nor did it falter.

Gaara, to his credit, didn't falter despite feeling completely uncomfortable. There weren't many people who could do that but Hinata was a special woman. The Hyuga sisters were protective of one another and if the roles were reversed, Xin would be the same way. "Matsuri and Masaru conspired to kidnap and deliver your sister to my father."

Hinata's head cocked to the side, glowing eyes falling on Matsuri. "You...you allowed my sister to be kidnapped? You planned it and had her taken to his father?" she asked in an eerily calm voice. Matsuri met her stare, frowning tightly, but nodded stiffly.

What happened next was almost hard to describe but it felt like something suddenly... _popped_ from Hinata. Waves of pure energy that was searing hot came off her rolls, threatening to drown them all. Gaara, Naruto and Matsuri instantly tried to scramble away, skin peeling back and leaving rivulets of blood running down their faces. Karin and Suigetsu suffered the same fate, lurching away clumsily. Tenten and Neji were mostly unaffected, instead breaking out into a heavy sweat. "Hin...Hinata…" Tenten stumbled towards the miko. "Stop...stop! You have to stop, you're going to kill them!"

Hinata turned her head towards the brunette, her face blank. Gradually the energy began to fade away, seeping under skin and into her veins. She turned her gaze back to Matsuri, noticing that her skin was smoking, filling the air with burnt flesh. Neji reached for her, pulling her away from the demons. "Step out into the hallway with me. We'll come back once you've calmed down."

"I am calm," Hinata snapped back frigidly, snatching her hand away. "I don't want to step out into the hallway."

Matsuri wiped at the errant blood trailing down her face, scowling harshly. "Your sister—" she began, baring sharp teeth at the miko.

"Matsuri—" Gaara glared at Matsuri.

"—deserves whatever punishment Rasa decides for her. She's made Gaara weak and so have you. You and your sister, you've both made Naruto and Gaara weak. You're lucky Rasa didn't bother taking you either."

Naruto, Karin and Gaara simultaneously lurched towards Matsuri but Naruto reached her first, having been closer. He slammed into her, sending them both to the floor. They fell on top of the coffee table, the piece of furniture splintering under their combined weight. His hands wrapped around her throat, ignoring her frenzied hits against his body. Jagged black whiskers formed at his cheeks and his blue eyes faded to blood red, his pupils morphing to slits.

He snarled something at her in a language that Hinata couldn't understand. Neji reached for her again, yanking her away from the snarling bodies. For a moment, it seemed like everyone was okay with Naruto choking the life out of her. But Gaara stepped forward, calmly grabbing at his shoulder. "You can't kill her, Naruto. It could spark conflict between Suna and Konoha. Get up," he pulled the blond away slowly, reaching down to pry Matsuri from his grip. He didn't bother helping her back up, looking down at her in distaste. Matsuri coughed and gagged, trying to suck in oxygen. She reached for her bruised throat, turning to her side.

"Oh, get up," Karin rolled her eyes, not the least bit concerned. "You're fine, you jealous idiot."

"Instead of fighting, shouldn't we focus on getting Xin back? Why are we just waiting around like this? Open a portal and let's go," Tenten looked back and forth between Naruto and Gaara.

"We can't do that," Naruto snarled, hands pressed into his face. He took a deep breath, trying his hardest to reign in his anger. "It's exactly what Rasa wants. He wants Gaara to go back to Suna just so he can kill Xin in front of him."

"He'll know of my presence the moment I go back to Suna," Gaara added on to Naruto's explanation. His hands tightened into fists as he looked at Matsuri. Naruto couldn't kill her but he certainly could. He was in a tight spot thanks to Matsuri's jealousy but he couldn't allow Xin's death.

"How do we know he hasn't killed her, regardless?" Neji asked quietly, grip on Hinata tightening. He felt her legs give out and allowed her to lean against him.

"Because Rasa is a sadistic asshole. If he thinks Xin is making Gaara weak, he'll want to make an example out of her. It'll make him stronger and remind him that he can't care for someone like her."

"Do you?" Karin asked briskly, taking a step towards the taller redhead. "Do you actually care for her?"

Gaara met her gaze head on, "I care for Xin."

"Enough to go against Rasa?" she pressed.

"Enough to go against Rasa," Gaara confirmed without a second thought. Matsuri inhaled sharply, eyes going wide as she studied him.

"You…" she croaked painfully. "You would betray your father for her? For a human?"

"Rasa betrayed me first."

He turned from her, signaling the end of their conversation. He was through with Matsuri for the time being. "He'll sense my presence immediately so we'll open a portal to Konoha first. It'll take us three days and two nights and we'll mask our energy so he won't sense us coming."

Naruto nodded, having the same plan in his head. Hinata looked at them both. "I'm going with you," she spoke up, knowing they wouldn't like that statement. A chorus of rejection mixed together almost immediately.

"Hinata, be reasonable," Suigetsu tried to say soothingly, rubbing at her back. "The last thing we need is for ya to get snatched as well. Our realm is dangerous and you're like a walkin' buffet."

Hinata whirled around, smacking Suigetsu's hand away. "How is it any different here? It's still dangerous here. Besides, what if she's hurt when you find her? You can't heal her but I can."

"Can you?" Karin asked pointedly, immediately regretting it.

"Seeing as how she just melted our shit off, I wouldn't question what she can and can't do," Naruto swiftly came to Hinata's defense, eyes narrowed at his cousin. The last thing they needed was Karin's self-righteous bullshit at the moment. She took the hint for once, backing off. "Listen, Hinata," Naruto looked at the smaller woman, using her actual name. "It's too dangerous and there's too much at stake. You're not going."

Hinata's eyes narrowed slightly but she said nothing. She was going, whether they liked it or not.

* * *

Xin was unceremoniously dragged from Temari's room what felt like an hour or so later. She didn't fight them as they dragged her back to Rasa, pulling a face when she was forced to her knees once more. She didn't understand the point of kneeling to him. "You said you would inform us when she woke up," Rasa spoke casually to Temari. The blonde shifted uncomfortably for a second before her eyes hardened.

"She was still quite delirious so I was giving her time to focus."

Temari was a talented liar, Xin would give her that. That woman had a straight ass face and didn't even blink when Rasa continued to stare her down. He slowly turned back to Xin, eyes roving over her as if impressed with her. Xin returned the stare, arms wrenched behind her back once more. "Are you ready to cooperate, miko?"

"I've been cooperating," Xin replied steadily. "I told you that I'm not a witch. I'm a priestess and I haven't casted any spell on Gaara. Masuyo lied to you."

"What reason would Masuyo lie?"

Xin shrugged a shoulder, feigning disinterest. "I'unno, the woman's batshit," she retorted in a blank tone. She expected the slap but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less. At least it wasn't strong enough to knock her onto her face, she wasn't sure if she had the energy to get back up at the moment.

"Mind your tongue," Masaru hissed down at her, eyes glinting as Xin slowly turned her head back towards him. She huffed, blowing messy strands of hair out of her face. Her cheek was beginning to swell, turning an angry scarlet that stood out against her pale skin. She could see the gleeful satisfaction in his eyes, fully entertained by her mistreatment.

If she ever got the chance, she was going to purify the living shit out of him.

"Why should I take your word over Masuyo's words?" Rasa questioned, not the least bit deterred by her being slapped around. "I have known her for years, before you were even a thought, young miko. Do you expect me to believe you over her?"

"So you should know firsthand that that women is a fruit loop," Xin retorted, jerking backwards at the last second when Masaru raised his hand to strike her again. "Would you stop that?!" she snapped irritably. "You're gonna knock my brain cells out my damn head at this rate!"

Temari turned her head, stifling the chuckle bubbling from her throat. Rasa glanced at her, not the least bit amused, but said nothing. Xin shot Masaru one last evil look before looking back at Rasa. "You should take my word over hers because I'm the miko, not her. I know what miko are capable of and what we're not capable of. We don't cast spells."

"Then explain my son's obsession in protecting you."

Xin's mouth pinched and her face heated up. But then she slumped in on herself, like she'd done earlier. "I don't know why Gaara does the things that he does. There's nothing binding him to me, Gaara could've left at any time. He chose not to."

Rasa continued to stare down at her, face a blank slate. It was hard to tell what he was thinking at that exact moment. "Relieve me of her presence," he finally said after a long moment, flicking a casual hand to ward her away. Xin wasn't sure if that meant she was going to die for sure but she didn't struggle once she was hefted to her feet. Rasa and Temari watched Masaru lead the human out, both quietly thinking. Temari wasn't sure what was taking Gaara so goddamn long but she had to buy him time. She had to keep Xin alive long enough for him to come snatch her big mouthed ass back.

"It's interesting that she can heal, don't you think?" she asked in a light tone. Rasa glanced at her but said nothing. "Perhaps...she might pay a visit to mother?"

The look Rasa sent his daughter was absolutely scathing but Temari stood her ground, holding his glare with an air of nonchalance. "I assume you're joking, Temari. If you actually think that I'll let that heathen near your mother then I must laugh. I thought you were more wise than this?"

Temari didn't react to the jab, knowing better. The only one who could really talk circles around her and get her flustered was her own mother. "I am," she replied plainly. "Which is why I made the suggestion. She's been sick for years and it's only getting worse. Our medics offer temporary relief but can never fully heal her. The miko can."

"You don't know that for sure," Rasa shot back. "She's not a guest here, Temari, she can't be trusted to heal your mother. She might take revenge and purify her instead."

"Then perhaps she should be treated as a guest?"

"You mean to tell me that you believe her?"

"If Gaara was under some spell to protect her, wouldn't he be here by now?" Temari answered his question with a question. She was always good at this sort of thing, twisting conversations to her liken. "I'm beginning to think that perhaps Masuyo hasn't been truthful, father. Perhaps we should find her and find out more?"

But Rasa had no reply for his daughter.

* * *

This was clearly his fault.

Gaar rubbed harshly at his face, taking a deep breath. Suigetsu was completely right when he pointed out that they really fucked things up. From the moment Xin hit him with her car, it was a domino effect leading up to this very point. He should've left her alone after that encounter. He shouldn't have come snooping around trying to figure out what was in her veins. He shouldn't have allowed Naruto to meet her and her sister. He should've squashed the growing attraction and he should've gone back to Suna. He should've done a lot of things that would have avoided Xin's kidnapping. But he hadn't and Xin was gone. She was gone and it was his fault. He was foolish enough to let Matsuri trick him into leaving Xin on her own. It was a known fact among them all that Xin could easily wander into danger. That girl was spacey enough to wander to her death.

"I want to go back to Suna," Matsuri announced indignantly. Gaara barely threw a glance her way. He wanted her to go back just as bad but knew that was out of the question. She'd run right to Rasa and rat them out. Therefore, she had to stay put.

Hinata's eyes narrowed at the opposing demoness. Hinata's temper wasn't as short as her sister's temper but she found herself losing any tolerance for the demoness. Wordlessly, she held up her hand towards Matsuri. A light purple bubble suddenly flickered into view, forming around Matsuri. "You aren't going anywhere," Hinata uttered in a sort of tone that left no room for argument. Karin, who'd been standing pretty close to Matsuri, shifted away. Clearly she'd been completely wrong in assuming that Hinata and Xin weren't taking their miko heritage serious. Perhaps Xin had a fighting chance in Suna if she was on par with Hinata.

"You can't hold me here," Matsuri scowled at the priestess but avoided coming into contact with the dome formed around her.

Naruto scratched at his chin. "I think she can, Matsuri. If you want to try to break out, be my guest," he snorted, almost wishing that the brunette would make an attempt and get herself purified. He was completely through with her, angry that her jealousy would be Xin's undoing.

Tenten, the peacemaker that she was, spoke up. "I'll take Matsuri to my parents and keep her there. Mom will be able to form a similar barrier around her. You two need to formulate a plan to get Xin back."

"And you will get her back," Neji snapped meaningfully. "You owe it to her."

"I know that," Gaara replied with just enough bite. He wanted them to leave already, he didn't need them to constantly remind him that it was his fault that she was gone. He knew that well enough without them throwing it into his face every two seconds. It wasn't like he was basking in this bullshit. He was as upset as the rest of them, maybe even more so. "I'm going to get Xin back and Matsuri and Masaru will pay for this."

Matsuri noticeably paled but said nothing as Hinata's barrier flickered out. Before she could open a portal and escape, Karin and Suigetsu seized her, boxing her in between them. "Hinata, how about you come with us?" Neji offered, wanting her away from the demonic duo.

The stubbornness that Xin was so famous for must have rubbed off on Hinata. Or maybe she was always just as stubborn but no one seemed to realize it. Either way, she shook her head. "I'm fine here. I want to hear their plan," she said simply, taking a seat on the couch.

"Hinata," Neji offered her a serious look, clearly unaware of how stubborn she could be. "You're not going with them," he said with an air of finality. Something in the air crackled around them all as Hinata held his stare. Several seconds passed, Hinata's energy bearing harshly upon them. Then finally, the air cleared. There was defiance in her eyes and the tight set to her jaw seemed like she was going to argue.

Instead she replied very simply with, "Keep an eye on Matsuri."

The group left after that, Matsuri shooting errant glances at Gaara. He didn't return her looks, ready to be rid of her presence for the time being. Naruto leaned over the couch, clapping Hinata on the shoulder. "That was pretty badass, Moonpie. I thought you were going to melt our shit off."

Hinata's icy disposition faltered and cracked and she let out a breathless laugh. "I didn't mean to hurt either of you. I was just so angry and I lost my temper," she tried to amend peacefully, hoping they wouldn't hold it against her.

Naruto grinned at the miko, not the least bit offended. "It's understandable, don't fret over it. It was pretty impressive and you shut Karin up. Not many of us can do that."

Hinata nodded slowly, feeling almost empty without Xin's presence. She kept thinking she'd come waltzing out of her room, complaining about all the shouting. But she never did and Hinata could just feel her heart breaking. There was no guarantee that Xin was still even alive anymore. She knew that Naruto and Gaara insisted that Rasa wouldn't kill her outright but Xin was freakishly antagonistic when she was agitated. Hell, she probably cursed Rasa out already! Even if she wasn't dead yet, she was most likely hurt in some way. Hinata had to go with them.

"We'll have to mask our energy as soon as we near the borders," Gaara was saying, mind racing with planning. Hinata only glanced at him, frowning softly. "Hinata," he turned his attention towards her. "It's probably wise that you catch up with everyone else. Who knows if Masuyo is just waiting for us to leave you on your own…" he trailed off, hoping she wouldn't argue.. She didn't make a verbal reply, opting to hum in thought to show that she heard him. He mistook it as her being upset with him, which she was right for. "Hinata," he uttered quietly, eliciting her attention. "I'm going to get her back."

A somber smile pulled at her lips as she reached over to pat his hand. "I know you will," she stated confidently.

Gaara was a little shocked at her sincerity but said nothing more, standing up. "You ready to go, Uzumaki?" he asked, turning away from the little miko. Naruto came bounding around the couch, leaning down to swamp Hinata in a big hug.

"Listen, Moonpie, don't worry about a thing. We're gonna get your big mouthed sister back. We'll be back before you know it," Naruto said into her hair, squeezing her reassuringly. Hinata chuckled against his shoulder, patting at his back.

If the two had bothered to pay closer attention, they would have seen the blatant scheming in her eyes. Instead they turned away, Gaara waving his hand in a circle. A portal gradually grew from his coaxing, psychedelic colors swirling together and threatening to scramble Hinata's brain around in her head.

They exchanged goodbyes with the miko, promising to bring her sister back to her. She stood back with a soft smile, nodding along to their words. They both carefully stepped into the portal, vanishing back to their realm. She studied the ridges of the portal, watching as it began to close in on itself. Before it got too small, Hinata dashed forward, throwing herself through the portal after the two demons.

The portal snapped shut soundly.

* * *

All things considered, Xin wasn't having a horrible time. Sure, this wasn't the ideal situation and her face was leaking blood like a broken faucet and there's a big ass bruise taking up the side of her head but she's still alive. Rasa was clearly a lunatic and Temari constantly spoke in rhymes and riddles like some backstreet fortune teller but fuck all, she's alive still.

To her surprise, she was mostly left alone. She knew that this was a game to toy with Gaara but she at least expected to be tortured. Maybe Rasa believed her when she insisted that there wasn't any spells going on, that she truly was innocent. She was confined to a room with a simple cot in it, nothing special about it. The door wasn't even locked. But when she opened said unlocked door and peeked out, she was dismayed to see a freakishly hulk looking motherfucker standing opposite of her room. There's a deep hunger in his eyes as he leered at her and it made her wish that the door actually locked. Devouring miko serves as a power-boost. She could already tell that the demon ordered to keep her to her room was entertaining the thought of killing and eating her.

Great.

She wasn't the least bit surprised when the door opened and the Hulk incarnate somehow managed to fit his big ass body in her closet-space of a room. She was sitting on the bed as he eased the door shut behind him. They held a staring contest as Xin climbed off of the bed, putting it in between them. "Priestess," He grinned savagely.

He tossed the bed to the side with no issue, breaking it into two when it hit the wall. "That was unnecessary," Xin blurted out, glancing at the pile of broken furniture. The last thing she should be doing is reprimanding the Hulk but she couldn't help it. He lept towards her, hands missing her as she dodged to the left. She's closer to the door now, eyes darting to it. If she could just make it out...

No such luck.

He caught her by the locks of her hair and for a second, she wondered if maybe she should cut it shorter. He slammed her back against the wall, rattling her brain once more. She struggled against him, working against the nausea that was building in her stomach from having her head slammed into the wall. Her hands were skittering against him, nails digging into his skin to no avail. _Off. Get off, get off, get off._

"I'll devour you," his face was buried in her neck, voice rasping against the bruised skin. She wasn't exactly sure in what sense he meant but she was panicking. Her clothes were torn, shredded and sliced in their scuffle, revealing the skin underneath. He inhaled her scent obsessively, turning her clothes to rags. Xin shook under his hands, realizing that her hands were essentially free. She could save herself, if she willed it. She didn't have to wait for anyone to come—no one was coming in the first place. She was a miko, for fuck's sake, and she could save herself.

Her palm smacked against his face, glowing eerily as she curled her fingers into his flesh. She shoved him backwards as the scent blood and burning flesh filled the air. The demon went down hard, screeching like a banshee, but Xin held on, willing her power to seep from the tips of her nails and into his flesh.

Somebody was shouting over the demon's screams but Xin ignored them, willing the motherfucker to _just die already_. She was stopped, of course, before she could commit such an atrocity by a slap to the face. "Masaru," Temari scowled at him, reaching forward to help Xin up. "Stop hitting her."

"She's a prisoner and she's nearly killed him."

"Within reason, I'm sure. He was instructed to stop her from leaving. Somehow I doubt that's what happened."

"...eat me," Xin mumbled incoherently. "He was going to eat me," she managed to piece together once the room stopped spinning. Her shirt fell to her lap, revealing the bright pattern leading down her neck. Masaru studied it, scowling softly.

"Weakling," Temari scowled at the demon, who was missing half his face. "Masaru, take him to the medics and have him looked at. Or not, I don't care, but remove him from my sight."

With Masaru and the Hulk gone, Temari was free to gently gather Xin up in her arms. She's freakishly small, Temari noted, not the type her brother usually went for. It almost felt like she'd come apart in her arms at any second. How Gaara could feel so strongly for such a weak woman was beyond her. "I'll get you some change of clothes," Temari announced, stepping into a steamy room. "You're safe here so take off the rags and get into the water."

She felt a little bad with leaving Xin on her own. It was obvious that she was a bit dazed but she managed to shake it away long enough to start undressing. Temari left her alone in what looked like to be a giant hot spring. The water was extremely clear, showing her reflection perfectly. She cringed at the state of her bruised and bloodstained face. Her hair was a wild nest and the streak of purple bruises down her throat added to her wild look.

How anyone in their right state of mind found her attractive was beyond her.

Wordlessly she slid into the water, inhaling and then exhaling deeply as the hot water soothed her aching body. She wasn't sure what they put into the water but it smelled freakishly healthy and clean. Temari came back with a bundle of clothes, muttering to herself. "I hope this fits," She rolled her eyes as Xin worked the kinks out of her hair. "Now come out and get dressed. I can't have you out and about for too long without Rasa taking notice."

Bummed that she had to leave already, Xin climbed out, receiving the bundle of clothing. She frowned down at it, unfolding it with a confused look. "Temari...these aren't clothes...this is...I don't know, scraps of fabric."

"We don't have a lot of women with your body shape," Temari stated plainly. "Your hips are far too wide, you have a small torso but a surprisingly large bust and you have short legs. That was the best I could find."

Xin gaped at her, clearly offended. "I...my...I do not have short legs!" she cried indignantly, glancing self-consciously at her legs.

"You have short legs," Temari confirmed in that same dry tone. "You're short, miko."

Xin huffed and turned sharply from the taller demoness, yanking the clothes on in a jerky fashion. Her outfit really did seem like scraps of fabrics but it helped her fit in a bit better. The fabrics were different tones of red, surprising her because red wasn't really her color. She was far too pale for the it. The skirt was long, with slits trailing up to nearly the low waistline. She made a noise in her throat at how low the skirt sat on her hips. The top was even worse. She wasn't sure how it was even considered a top. It literally looked like someone cut a piece of fabric and handed it over. It was...a bandeau bra, that was the closest thing she could compare it to. It snapped around her bust, securing her breasts tightly.

"...I feel cheap," Xin whined, turning back to Temari. "I feel like how Princess Leia felt when that fat motherfucker Jabba the Hutt put her in that slave outfit."

Temari stared back at her, eyebrows raised. "I...I don't know what any of that meant but you don't look cheap at all," she reassured the human, a saucy smirk curving her lips. "I think it will please Gaara when he finally gets here," she pointed out coyly. Xin reacted the same way she did the last time Temari mentioned Gaara. She didn't know why the blonde insisted that Gaara was going to get her out of this mess. He was too damn busy with Matsuri. It had only been a couple of hours since she'd been abducted, he was probably still under the impression that she was sleeping. That fuckin' jerk. "I know my brother better than you do, miko. I've known him far longer so believe me when I say he will come and take you back."

Xin didn't immediately reply, following behind Temari like a lost puppy. "Why are you helping me?" she asked after a long stretch of silence. She realized about halfway back that she was barefoot and wondered if Temari intended on that. It would complete the ridiculous 'slave girl' look she had going on.

Temari tossed her a glance over her shoulder, a thoughtful look on her face. "Because….because you're just a human."

* * *

Xin grunted, forced to her knees once more. She was cursing Temari to Hell and back for putting her in the ridiculous slave outfit. Now she looked like some sexed up miko turned slave in front of a bunch of drooling demons.

"I was informed of a...scuffle taking place, miko," Rasa began to speak and everyone else fell silent.

"A scuffle?" Xin repeated tonelessly.

"A scuffle," Rasa nodded, ignoring her blank expression. "Between you and Kenta. It took place only an hour or so ago."

"So the rapist has a name?"

Her ears were ringing with that particular slap. "Mind your tongue," Masaru shoved harshly at her shoulder.

"Fine—cannibal—whatever," Xin snapped, completely fed up with being slapped by Masaru. "Why are you even hitting me? He was trying to eat me! Or rape me, I don't know. Probably both. Why am I being slapped?"

"Because you deserve it."

The look on Xin's face, unblinking and dark, was threatening despite her being surrounded by more powerful beings. "You're next."

Rasa hummed, almost impressed with the look on her face. He could admit, however, that the state of Kenta's face both disgusted and impressed him. Xin was a small being and pathetically human but had power hidden under her skin that was clearly dangerous to their kind. Her gaze slowly fell back to Rasa. The ruthless look bled back into submission as she quietly studied him. "I didn't do anything wrong, I defended myself. It's not my fault he's a weak idiot," she spat, remembering that those who sought power-boosts were generally looked down upon. Rasa only nodded. If Kenta hoped to gain power by cutting corners, he deserved having half of his face singed off. He should be glad she hadn't purified him entirely. He'd been ordered to keep her from escaping but was not to touch her otherwise. He went against orders and would suffer for it.

Rasa's dark eyes trailed down Xin's neck, noting the splatter of splotchy marks leading towards her chest. They were different from the other bruises coloring her pale skin, more intimate and deliberate. The bruises also weren't as vibrant and fresh as the others, meaning they'd already been there when she arrived. "You claim, miko, that there is no spell to speak of yet my son insists upon your presence," Rasa began, ignoring the slump of Xin's shoulders and the exaggerated eye roll. He kept asking the same question and would get the same answer. She wasn't going to suddenly switch it up. "What relation has formed between the two of you?"

Maybe if she paid more attention to Temari's scheming, she would have realized that maybe there was a specific reason she'd been given the clothes. In all the excitement, Xin had forgotten about the patches of bruises decorating the column of her neck. Xin remained oblivious to what he was getting at, shrugging her slumped shoulders. "I...he….we're friends," she decided after a long moment. "I can't say for sure what Gaara really thinks of me or considers me as but I just know that in my eyes, we're friends," she confessed truthfully. She really didn't know what Gaara labeled her as. He confirmed that they weren't strangers or enemies but he never said anything about being friends.

And just because they shared a few heated kisses didn't mean they were anything more than friends. Especially since Matsuri somehow managed to find her way into his arms the very next morning. Maybe there was a reason why he didn't consider them enemies or strangers.

Maybe...maybe she meant _nothing_ to him.

"The marks on your neck," Rasa didn't bother to beat around the bush. At the reminder, Xin's face flushed heavily. Temari nearly grinned at the aspect but managed to hide it well. Rasa tilted his head to the side, eyebrows raised almost condescendly, "Who put them there?"

Xin felt like if she told the truth, it would spell even more trouble for her. But if she was caught in a lie, who knows how Rasa would react? He obviously didn't care that she'd been slapped, punched, body slammed into the wall and nearly eaten. She was pretty sure they only let her get away with attacking Kenta because trying to gain power by eating her was disgraceful. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She was damned if she lied and she was damned if she told the truth. She literally was stuck, coming up short with any plans that could potentially buy her some time and save her from getting the living daylights slapped out of her.

Something to her left stirred before stepping from a crowd of demons. Xin glanced towards the disturbance, surprised to see Jura. He didn't acknowledge her presence, throwing her off. "Forgive my intrusion, Rasa-sama, but Karura-san is awake and is requesting to see both you and Temari-san."

Xin watched in interest as Rasa's blank gaze seemingly light up. She vaguely recalled Naruto mentioning some odd sickness that plagued the reclusive Karura. Rasa looked back at Xin, as if he'd forgotten she was kneeling in the sand in front of him. Why was there sand everywhere, anyway? Did these people not understand the concept of a broom? Just because they settled in the desert didn't mean they had to let the sand inside. The sand chafed at her knees, leaving them bloody. She tried hard not to shift around uncomfortably, ignoring the stinging blooming from her knees.

"Very well. We'll continue this later. Remove the miko," Rasa waved her away, condemning her to Masaru. The demon yanked her to her feet, a death grip on her bicep. He forced her to walk, ignoring the blood leaking down her legs from her knees. Jura still hadn't turned in her direction as she was led out. Masaru didn't say anything as he manhandled Xin back to her shoebox of a room. She barely felt the grip on her, mind reeling at the appearance of Jura. He hadn't acknowledged her, not even once. Had that been done on purpose? Was he keeping their friendship a secret from Rasa? Or maybe he went back on his word and renounced their friendship?

Xin didn't even take heed of Masaru, a gasp leaving her as she was slammed against the wall for a second time. She paled as Masaru boxed her in, trapping her underneath him. She pressed the back of her head into the wall, trying to put some space in between them. Masaru curved down over her, burying his face in her neck. Xin was freaked the fuck out. "He's made his choice, miko," Masaru's voice grated uncomfortably against her skin. She figured he might've been talking about Rasa and the decision to kill her. "He doesn't want you, he chose Matsuri."

 _Oh_.

"Swear yourself to me and you won't die by Rasa's hand," he continued into her neck, ignoring her uncomfortable shift around him. Sure, he promised Rasa wouldn't kill her but that didn't mean Masaru himself wouldn't kill her either. "Swear yourself to me, miko."

Xin wasn't sure why Masaru thought she would easily swear herself to him since he insisted on slapping the shit out of her at any opportunity. That wasn't a good marketing strategy and she wondered if he'd hit her again if she pointed it out. It seemed like Masaru would hit her for blinking wrong at this point. Masaru wedged a leg in between hers, sliding closer and pressing his hips to hers. Xin's face contorted in disgust, shakily raising her hands to press against his chest. He pulled back to look down at her. "I think I'll take my chances," she bit out through clenched teeth. "Get off of me."

His lips pulled back into a vicious smile. "You think you can survive without my aid, miko? You can't. Look around you, you've lost and Gaara isn't coming to save you. The only way you'll avoid death is by aligning and giving yourself to me."

Xin squinted up at him, jaw set tightly and stubbornly. "I haven't lost shit," she snapped at him, steeling her nerves. "I can and will survive this, Gaara be damned. You think I need saving? Kenta's face says otherwise."

Masaru leaned closer to her, face inches away from her. "You'll submit to me. I'll make sure of that. Gaara can't have everything, not all of the time."

She had no idea what the hell he was getting at but it wasn't for her to understand. She didn't understand the shadow Gaara casted over Masaru all of their lives. This was bigger than her and she could only serve as a pawn in the desperate game he was waging against Gaara. He had everything. He had power, influence and a woman who would willingly bow and submit to him. And he wanted to throw all of that away for...for this human girl.

This stubborn, disrespectful midget of a girl.

She didn't understand their world, didn't quite grasp the culture and politics of their world. She didn't get their customs, traditions and rules. She didn't realize how much power radiated from Gaara and what was expected of him. She was ignorant to it all and Gaara would fleetingly abandon it all for her. Everything Masaru ever wanted...he would abandon it for Xin.

It wasn't fair. He was going to ruin her, shatter and destroy her. He was going to break her into a million sharp pieces and shatter those pieces in the desert. He was going to strip her down, unwravel her layers to reveal the soft bits of her.

And then he would kill her.

Xin shoved at his chest, hands glowing brightly. A pained hiss left him as he stumbled back, breaking out into a sweat. He glared down at her, his skin where she touched boiling and sizzling. She didn't move any further, back still pressed against the wall and hands still outstretched. She was, after all, just a human girl. She didn't have it in here to actually kill someone, did she?

It would eventually serve as her downfall, Masaru decided.

"You rest, miko," Masaru uttered stiffly, trying to ignore the stinging pain left behind by her purity. "We'll have more to discuss later. You'll need your energy."

He left with a curt turn, slamming the door behind him. Xin watched the door for several minutes, ready for him to come barreling back in and catching her off guard. When he didn't do that, she slowly slid down the wall, sitting in a heap. Her mind was racing with whirling thoughts. She wasn't exactly sure what Masaru was playing at. She didn't really know what he wanted from her. He kept smacking the shit out of her only to insist that she submit to him. And what the fuck was up with him and his obsession for Gaara? Why did he keep throwing it in her face that Gaara wasn't coming for her?

Xin reached up, running her fingers through her hair. There was too much happening, too many questions and accusations flung at her face. She couldn't hope to keep up. The only silver lining was that she was safe from Masuyo for the time being. And that wasn't saying much because she traded one psychopath for another.

Xin sat against the wall for a long time, simply thinking. This was all too much for her. A headache was beginning to push at the edge of her brain. To help her calm down and focus, she summoned a tiny bubble of spiritual energy. She rolled the bubble between her fingers, expanding and squishing it to different sizes.

She did this for hours, taking her mind off her boatload of mishaps and fuckups. She was so engrossed that she almost missed the door easing open. Gaara's lectures about her spacey ways smacked her upside the head, reminding her that she needed to be more alert in the demon world. Xin was expecting Temari but was ecstatic to see that it was Jura instead. "Jura," she sighed with a slump of her shoulders, the ball of purity vanishing back into her fingers. The small human clambered to her feet, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh, thank God," she almost sobbed into his skin. Having Temari was nice but Jura was her friend. She knew him better and felt comfortable with him.

"You," Jura pulled back to grin down at her. "have a worrisome knack for getting into trouble. How the hell did you end up here, of all places?"

"I was dragged here because apparently I've casted a spell on Gaara."

"You...can you do that? I don't know a lot about miko but I didn't know them to be spellcasters. Have you studied under Tenten?"

"Hell if I know. I've been telling Rasa that I can't cast spells like that but that fucker won't listen."

"Xin, please try to remember that that man can and will kill you and you speak too much out of turn. It's a wonder you're still alive now," Jura reminded her, brow wrinkling in concern. She was still clinging to him, laying most of her weight against him. He didn't seem to mind, arms wrapped tightly around her thin waist.

"He did punch me in the head."

" _Rasa_ punched you in the head?"

"Yeah, I think there's a bruise."

"Pray to whatever God you believe in for guidance and protection. You'll need it."

Xin let out a laugh and finally began to unfurl her arms from him. She fell back to the flats of her feet, smiling up at him. Jura peered down at her, smiling somberly. "Who needs a God when I have you?"

It was Jura's turn to laugh but it sounded hollow and bitter to Xin's ear. His head dropped down, forehead clunking against hers. "Don't be cruel, Xin," he whispered softly, a forlorn look in his eyes. Xin blushed heavily, guiltily averting her gaze. She eased out of his embrace, taking a step back. He got a good look at her, eyes nearly falling out of his head. "The hell are you wearing?"

"This was all Temari could find," she whined immediately. "My clothes were in rags thanks to that big motherfucker Kenta," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. It only made matters worse, causing her cleavage to bulge almost comically. "He tried to eat me."

Jura's forehead wrinkled in concern, eyes struggling not to dip any lower than her chin. "Kenta…" he uttered the word in distaste. He shook his head, warding the thoughts about Kenta away. "Does….is Gaara aware of your staying here? I'm not sure he'd agree with your treatment," Jura reached forward, hand nearly brushing the wound on her cheek. It was no longer bleeding but it was angry, blooming brightly against her skin.

"He has to know by now that something's up. I've been here since...the afternoon?"

"It's late in the night."

Disappointment hung over her at the revelation. So she'd been gone all day and Gaara hadn't made a sound. If he hadn't realized she was gone, someone else had to have noticed. Her sister, Naruto, Anko. Someone had to have realized that Hyug Xin seemingly fell off the face of the Earth. Her heart sank at the thought. Jura felt his own heart sink at the expression on her face. Someone like Xin, someone so full of life, should never look so sad. She looked exhausted and her bruised and red face wasn't helping any. He reached for her face again, hand cupping her bruised cheek gently. Her eyes slid shut and she leaned into his touch, sighing softly.

"I…" Jura stuttered, entranced by her. "I'm sure that Gaara has noticed and there's a reason it's taking him so long," he finally said, a nasty bitter feeling churning in his stomach. He warned her. He warned her not to get involved with Gaara, that he was a dangerous individual. But she hadn't listened. She'd done the complete opposite and dove headfirst into a life that she was unfamiliar with.

"He isn't coming," Xin decided after a long moment of silence. Her voice startled Jura from his thoughts, hand dropping away from her face. "Masaru only managed to clobber me over the head because I was upset. I was upset because I saw Matsuri shoving her tongue down his throat and he..he let her! He kissed her back!"

"...that doesn't sound right."

"I'm not blind, Jura. They were kissing and...and...they're probably still kissing, who knows?"

Jura shifted, shaking his head. Something wasn't right. Gaara had grown fiercely protective over Xin the last couple of months. It didn't sound right that he would abandon her so fleetingly to be with Matsuri. Last time he checked, Gaara had ended their romantic relationship anyway. So him kissing Matsuri while Xin was dragged off to Suna sounded fishy as fuck. If she had just listened to him...if she hadn't developed feelings for Gaara, she wouldn't be in this mess. Why couldn't she have just fallen for him instead? He didn't have all the expectations that Gaara had, he didn't have the brutal reputation to uphold. He could've whisked her away and no one would care.

Maybe…

Jura's hands tightened into fists. He couldn't take her from Gaara. If she couldn't be his wholeheartedly, then she couldn't be his at all. Besides, he couldn't do that to Gaara. They were friends and it was painfully obvious that Gaara had every intention of making Xin his. But now with all this Matsuri nonsense thrown in, things were getting wonky.

"So, you like Gaara then," he pointed out casually, stopping her mid-rant.

"I do not like that greedy son of a bitch. He can choke on Matsuri's tongue, for all I care."

"Sounds like you like him, otherwise you wouldn't be so upset about him and Matsuri," Jura pointed out almost smugly. "Which, by the way, makes no sense. He ended his relationship with Matsuri. In fact, I think you're the biggest reason why he ended it."

Xin had the nerve to blush. "Temari insisted that they aren't together too but I know what I saw. And..and besides, he would've been here by now, right? It's been hours. I…" she came to a hard pause, face scrunching up in misery. "I don't think he's coming," she confessed in a tiny whisper.

"Xin, you know that's not true. Gaara cares far too much for you," Jura insisted despite the bitter feeling stewing under his skin. "I...I'll go to your realm and see what's going on. Something isn't right and we'll get to the bottom of this," he reassured her firmly. The miserable face she'd been making eased up just a bit, allowing her to smile gently at him. "I have to go now before someone notices I've been here too long. Just please, for the love of your God, keep your mouth shut. Gaara is gonna have a fit when he sees your face…"

The larger demon gathered the miko up in a hug, mindful of the pattern of bruises marring her skin. "I'll try," Xin laughed against his skin, allowing him to hold onto her far longer than necessary. He left her quickly, leaving her alone again.

Something began brewing in her head.

* * *

Naruto and Gaara were aware of their tag along before the portal even spat them out in Konoha. Naruto turned and caught the body that stumbled out of the portal, frowning tightly. "Hinata!" he cried as she clutched onto him, her head spinning from her trip through the portal. She felt like her eyeballs were going to fall out of her head. "We told you to stay put!" Naruto shouted in alarm, panicking that he now had a dazed miko in the Demon Realm. Gaara stood back, not the least bit surprised. Hinata was a gentle soul but she was still a Hyuga. It seemed they all had notoriously stubborn natures. If the roles had been reversed, Xin would have stubbornly bullied her way into going with them. He had to give it to Hinata, she was clever.

"I said I was coming," Hinata asserted firmly once the world stopped spinning around her. "She's my sister and she could be hurt. You can't expect me to sit around."

"That's exactly what I expected you to do," Naruto growled down at her, clearly agitated. Hinata blinked at the demon, surprised at the hostility but didn't back down.

"Well, then, you expected wrong," Hinata said back, the tight set of her jaw resembling Xin. She channeled her sister as best as she could, squaring her thin shoulders. She didn't care if he was upset or not, she was standing her ground on this. "She's my sister, she needs me just as much as she needs you and Gaara."

Naruto held her stare but she didn't back down. Gaara let out a loud sigh, growing impatient. "We don't have time to argue like this. Knowing your sister, she's probably already cursed someone out."

Naruto turned sharply, not breaking his hold on Hinata. "You're okay with this?" he waved his hands in Hinata's direction.

"I'm not okay with it but it's clear she isn't going to listen to us."

"How are we supposed to travel from Konoha to Suna, two heavily populated villages, with a miko?" Naruto pointed out. He had yet to let her go, something that was not lost on Gaara.

The redhead shrugged, apathetic to it all. "We'll stop at Kushina's and ask her for clothes. No one is going to approach her if we're around her," Gaara planned easily, feeling antsy. He turned his gaze down towards Hinata. "Listen to me when I say this, Hinata. This is not a game. If we tell you to do something, do it. No arguments, no sneakiness, none of that."

Hinata nodded along to his words, knowing they had no time for mistakes. They couldn't get to Xin if they were busy trying to save her from being devoured. "God, you and your sister are enough to gray my hair," Naruto muttered sullenly, finally letting her go.

"You shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain. I'm sure that it's sacrilegious," Hinata quipped as they turned to the bustling village known as Konoha. Naruto and Gaara boxed her in between the two of them, advising her quietly to keep her head down. She could only catch small glimpses but Konoha seemed to be an odd mix of feudal Japan and modern Japan. They had technology but still dressed in robes and kimono. They looked mostly human but possessed features straight out of storybook. It's overwhelming to witness and Hinata was grateful for the two demons trapping her between them. They came across a house that looked like it could belong in the Human Realm. It was similar to her grandparents' house up in the countryside, causing a wave of nostalgia to settle over her.

She missed Xin.

They led her inside, relaxing the minute the door slid shut behind them. Clearly, whoever this Kushina woman was could be trusted. If Gaara and Naruto were so keen on trusting this woman with Hinata, then she would as well. A small woman with ridiculously long red hair greeted them in the living room, a large grin taking over her face. "Well, finally remembered that I am still alive and decided to visit?" she crowed playfully, opening her arms up to Naruto. He swamped her in his arms, much like he did to Hinata, holding the woman close.

Hinata hung back with Gaara, hands folded tightly in front of her. Gaara plainly regarded her, arms folded leisurely across his chest. He noticed the stiff set of her shoulders as she quietly watched Naruto and the redheaded woman. "Hinata," he leaned down towards her, deciding he'd had enough of her stiffness. "Kushina is his mother."

A shade of red that resembled the color of Gaara's hair painted Hinata's face, causing a short laugh to ripple from Gaara's throat. "Oh..of course," she mumbled, embarrassed that she was actually feeling jealous. "She's very beautiful."

Gaara agreed easily, "very."

"—a _miko_?" Kushina blinked rapidly, peering around her son's large form. "Oh, I've never met a miko before. Isn't she cute?" she spoke rapid fire, stepping away from Naruto to get a better look at Hinata. "Oh, hello Gaara. Move for a second so I can see the pretty miko," Kushina waved Gaara away from Hinata, smiling at Hinata. Hinata was caught off guard when Kushina reached for her, cupping and cradling her face in her hands. "Oh, she's not just cute, she's beautiful," Kushina breathed sincerely. "What on Earth are you doing in our realm, miko? It's dangerous for a pure soul like yours."

The human didn't immediately reply, still a bit confused about Kushina's touch. "My sister...she was tricked and taken to Suna. I came to get her back."

Confusion settled in and Naruto stepped in, peeling Hinata away from his mother. He explained everything then, from Xin and Gaara's bizarre meeting to the events that led straight up to her kidnapping. It was a lot to take in, they realized about halfway through the story, but Kushina patiently listened to them. "Same old Rasa," Kushina decided after the story was finished. "I'll never understand why he trusted that black mystic in the first place. She's always been shady as hell. Minato and Karura never liked her, within good reason," she shook her head, hands placed on her hips. "It's commendable that you defied these two for your sister," Kushina grinned and waved at Gaara and Naruto. "They're scary, aren't they?"

"Not to me," Hinata supplied softly, smiling at her feet. Kushina blinked at her and then looked at Gaara. He only shook his head, pointing to Naruto instead. Kushina's red brows shot up her forehead, turning to give her son a smug look.

Flustered, Naruto quickly changed the subject. "Listen, mom, we need clothes for Hinata to hide her scent. She's too short for Ino to lend her anything and too...uh...developed for Sakura," he trailed off, avoiding having to look at Hinata. Gaara snickered loudly, allowing his friend to throw a punch to his arm.

"Oh, I'd be glad to play dress up," Kushina clapped her hands together good naturedly. "Come, Hinata, let's see what we can find."

Hinata was dragged off before she could protest, leaving Gaara and Naruto alone. Naruto collapsed against the chaise-lounge, groaning loudly. "Man, how'd we get stuck with miko twins this trouble-prone?"

Gaara shrugged a shoulder, settling down as well. "It's probably karma for all the bad shit we've done," he replied with a snort. "At least yours listens to you."

"She jumped through a portal after we told her to stay put."

"Xin would have hit us."

Naruto paused, thinking of that statement before agreeing. "And she would've screamed in our ears until they bled," he laughed dryly. "I really hope she's still alive, man. I just know she's mouthing off to someone."

"Let's hope it's to someone idiotic, like my brother," Gaara grunted, uncomfortable with the thought of Xin not being alive. He constantly thought about killing her in the beginning of their relationship but now the thought made him sick.

"I can't believe Matsuri tricked you like that. I didn't think she was that desperate," Naruto continued on, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wish Hinata would have purified her…"

"Once we get Xin back, I'll let her hit her. I think that would be more satisfying."

Before they could say anything else, Kushina returned with a blushing Hinata. She was dressed in a kimono-like blouse that was held closed with a black obi and a simple pair of black tights. Her scent, which was usually almost overwhelming, was buried under the combined layers of Kushina and Naruto. "Now you're all set to break into Suna," Kushina sung despite the less than favourable situation.

Naruto heaved himself to his feet, grinning in a way that completely resembled Kushina's grin. "You look great, Hinata. We'll worry less with you smelling like me and mom," he pointed out, standing over her. Hinata found herself smiling up at him in return, blushing even harder when Kushina playfully elbowed her in the ribs.

"Here, take this as well," Kushina held up a neatly folded cloak. "I'm sure you've never been under Suna's sun. It's unrelenting and you'll burn, Hinata. We don't want that, do we?" Kushina hummed while giving the cloak to the miko. The redhead then turned to Gaara, still smiling. "And you," she pressed a finger to his chest. "make sure to get this Xin back. I'd like to meet her, she sounds fun."

"Of course, Kushina," Gaara nodded along to her demand. He was thankful that Kushina wasn't laying the blame at his feet for Xin's kidnapping, even though it was entirely his fault. It was just nice that Kushina just wanted to meet Xin.

"Great, I can't wait to meet her. Now, as much as I would love for you three to stick around, Xin is in danger the longer she stays with Rasa," Kushina reminded them, her smile dropping in favor of a frown. "I'm sure something like this wouldn't have happened if Karura was in better health. Send her my regards, would you?"

Gaara easily agreed with the redhead before the trio wished her a goodbye. Naruto threw the cloak around Hinata and pulled her hood on over her face, completely disguising her. They left the house, traveling to the outskirts of Konoha. Naruto explained that he'd have to carry Hinata during their travels. She was a confused as to why he insisted on carrying her but relented, remembering that she promised to do as they said.

So she climbed on his back, making sure her hood was secured over her head. Once they were certain that Naruto had a good grip on her and that she wouldn't fall off, they took off. Gaara and Naruto ran at top speed, Hinata nearly felt like they were flying. Leaves, twigs and other debris of the forest were kicked up in their wake, disturbing the once peaceful place. They darted by other demons, some traveling at a more leisurely pace than others but they ran into no obstacles. They took breaks every so often, allowing Hinata to gather herself and stretch her legs. But they didn't break for too long, all three of them eager to reach Suna. The day bled into night, they stopped to camp only to get right back up as soon as the sun was up. They repeated the process for the next two days, finding themselves at the gates of Suna in no time.

The demonic gatekeepers didn't question why Gaara hadn't used a portal or even who their tag along was. They, like the other villagers of Suna, had learned to mind their business when it came to Rasa's youngest son. Even if he was with the grinning son of Minato, they knew not to test the redhead demon. They disguised their energy as planned, succeeding when Rasa didn't send Temari or Kankuro to hurry him along home. Instead, they made a detour towards the end of the village. "Hinata, you'll stay with an old friend, she can be trusted," Gaara explained as they eased through the bustling roads of Suna.

Hinata pushed back her hood just a bit, revealing her confused face. "I don't want to stay with an old friend," she said sharply. "What if Xin is hurt?"

"We're not taking you straight to Rasa," Gaara argued tensely. "If Xin is hurt, we'll bring her to you."

Her eyes were beginning to glow. " _Gaara_ —"

"Hinata," Naruto intercepted the upcoming argue. "You said you wouldn't argue. Don't argue. We're halfway there to getting her back. There's no way we'll be able to hide you away from Rasa and break in to get Xin back."

Hinata let out a huff of frustration but let her hood face back into place, shielding her eyes as the glow dimmed down. "Fine. But be quick, it's been three days!"

They nodded along to her words, quickening their pace towards whoever this trusted friend was. The friend turned out to be another woman, a much older demoness with gray hair and a faceful of wrinkles. Despite her age, she had a youthful smile and mischievous glint in her eyes and accepted Hinata easily into her home. Naruto assured her and Chiyo, the elder demoness, that they would be back before sundown. Hinata wasn't at all happy about the circumstances but relented, sending them off with a stern order to bring her sister back as soon as possible.

As they neared the large residence that his family inhabited, Naruto and Gaara felt a familiar energy surging towards them. Temari appeared with a wide-eyed look about her. "I thought that was you two," she muttered while hurriedly approaching them. She always had a weird knack for hunting Gaara down, whether his energy was hidden away or not."Now you show up! What the hell took you so long? That woman is a timebomb!"

"She's alive," Gaara nearly sighed at the end of his sister's rant. He didn't care about anything else, just that Xin was alive. He wouldn't have been able to live with himself if she perished under Rasa's hand. "Where is she? Take us to her."

"I..I can't," Temari admitted almost nervously.

"You can't?" Naruto stepped closer to her, eyes narrowed. "Or you won't?"

"I can't," Temari repeated curtly. "Xin...she...she escaped."

* * *

TeeBeMe: somebody stop me cuz' I'm on fire. Another cliffhanger, who do I think I am?


	18. The kindness of strangers

Xin had one of two options.

She could either wait for Rasa to lose his patience and just kill her or she could try to get the hell out of there. Either option would probably result in her death, she realized at some point. It was a depressing thought to have but it was the ugly truth. She didn't see herself getting out of this alive. She'd been in Suna for two days now and Gaara was still a no show. So, she could wait around for death or she could go down in a fiery blaze of glory, waving her middle fingers around and screaming ' _fuck you_!' to Rasa and the rest of his merry band of morons.

With that in mind, Xin laid in her cot, her back facing the door. Another demon had been ordered to sit outside of her door to keep an eye on her. He had a stupid look in his eye and Xin figured he might have been entertaining the idea of devouring her.

Not on her watch, motherfucker.

Her body sagged into the cot before she let out a pained, pitfil wail. A second later the door swung open, the demon stepping in. "What's wrong with you, miko?" he grunted at her back, scowling angrily. She only groaned in reply, not turning over. Grunting again, he reached for her shoulder, easing her on her back.

Xin took her chance, rolling over and springing up towards the demon. Hand outstretched, she slapped it against his mouth. He stumbled back in surprise but Xin didn't give him a chance to fight her off. With a strong burst of energy, she purified him. The demon dropped to the ground, body going limp as he hit the floor. Xin scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as she stared down at him. For a moment, her stomach turned and her vision wavered.

She killed him.

Hands shaking, Xin tried to steel her nerves. She had to do it, she rationalized. He would've killed her given the chance. She had to escape.

Her eyes snapped up, focused on the opened door. Freedom stared back at her, willing her to make an escape. It was foolish, she had no idea what was waiting for her outside of the room but she couldn't wait for Death to come for her. If she was going to die, she was going to greet Death kicking and screaming.

Stepping over the demon, Xin abandoned her shoebox of a room. She quickly made her way down the long stretch of a hallway, knowing she had to move fast. Someone probably felt that burst of pure energy and it wouldn't be long untithey came looking around. Much to her dismay, she soon became lost, having taken far too many different turns. She stood in the middle of a random hallway, biting her thumbnail, and vaguely listened to the sounds of muffled shouting. Her stunt had been discovered.

Xin rushed down the hallway, coming to a single large door. Hoping that Rasa or Masaru wasn't hiding behind it, she slipped by the heavy door. The room was dimly-light with just a few candles scattered about. It was mostly empty, the only thing standing out was the large, circular bed in the middle of the room. Xin nearly assumed that the room was empty but caught sight of a head poking out from underneath the heavy blankets.

For a moment, she almost thought it was Temari. The features were similar and the hair color was the same but it was not her. Xin quietly approached the slumbering woman, her curiosity getting the better of her. She leaned over the figure, studying her.

It had to be Karura.

Xin stared down at the woman, frowning softly. She didn't look sick, per say, but she looked...troubled. Xin leaned closer, an odd feeling washing over her. It felt like...despair, agony and...evil was radiating from her. Xin's brows drew together, the awful feeling felt so familiar to her, she just couldn't understand why.

Reaching forward with hands glowing dimly, she nearly pressed her hand to the woman's chest but was stopped when the woman suddenly moved. She caught Xin's wrist in a surprisingly tight grip, eyelids peeled back slightly to look up at her. She looked groggy but that didn't stop her from holding onto to Xin like her life depended on it.

"What are you doing?"

Xin was freaked the fuck out but she hoped it didn't show on her face. "You...you're not sick," she came to the realization. "You're dying."

The woman she assumed to be Karura only stared up at her, words failing her. She dropped her iron grip on Xin, allowing her to press the tips of her fingers to her chest. The minute she came into contact with Karura, a painful feeling surged up her arm. She ripped her hand away, stumbling backwards. The two stared at one another, no words between them. Xin was about to speak but stopped, hearing shouts drawing closer to the room. Panic seized her, forgetting about Karura. Eyes scanning the room, they landed on the window to her right. She turned back towards Karura, knowing Rasa would have her immediately killed for being in the same room as Karura.

"Tell Rasa it's not a sickness—you aren't sick," Xin said quickly, moving towards the window. "Karura? Do you hear me? You aren't sick," Xin stated firmly, throwing the window open. She hastily clambered on the windowsill, straddling it as she stared out into Suna.

She had no idea what she would do but she couldn't stay here, not when she killed a demon and barged in on Karura.

With that in mind, she jumped out of the window.

* * *

"She escaped?" Naruto squawked in confusion. "How could she escape? She's five foot nothing and weighs about a hundred pounds!" he waved his arms around, continuing to shout. They traveled three fuckin' days to come save her and she wasn't anywhere to be found.

"She...well, she's not to be underestimated," Temari said with a sigh, shoulders sagging. "Rasa has completely lost it. She's made a fool of him and he isn't happy about it."

"When is he ever happy?" Gaara asked blankly. "When did she escape?" he pressed, a headache coming on. He wasn't sure why he was even surprised. Xin really wasn't to be underestimated. She must have been left by herself in order to plan out an actual escape. She tended to panic a lot but once she was settled and by herself, she was tenacious in getting what she wanted.

"Yesterday morning."

"Yesterday?" they simountisenly repeated.

Temari rolled her eyes, "repeating me isn't going to make it any better."

"We have to find her," Naruto slapped his forehead.

Gaara growled, "No shit."

Naruto dragged his hand down his face, shooting Gaara the stink eye. "Oi, don't get angry with me. You're the one who was tricked by Matsuri."

"Tricked?" Temari parroted.

"Yeah," Naruto sneered, folding his arms across his chest. "She claimed she wanted to talk to him but decided to attach her face to his instead."

The older blonde blinked before a laugh escaped her. "Oh...oh wow, that makes more sense," Temari shook her head, pieces have fallen into place. "Xin saw you two. She got upset and that made it easy for Masaru to knock her upside the head. She thinks...she thinks you and Matsuri are together and that you weren't coming to take her back."

Naruto and Gaara glanced at one another, fed up with the turn of events. "No wonder she ran off. She was under the impression that she was going to be left here!"

"We have to track her down before someone finds her and hurts her."

"She's already hurt," Temari added calmly. "Masaru kept slapping her, Rasa punched and slapped her and Kenta...well..they fought so she's a bit banged up," Temari explained, pulling at the sleeve of her shirt. "She really does have balls made of steel. That girl mouthed off any chance she got, even if she was dazed…"

Naruto glanced at Gaara, weary of the tight set of his shoulders. "All that fighting happened in the span of three days?" he asked, worried yet impressed that Xin managed to ruffle many feathers.

"Three? Try one. All that fighting happened the first day they dragged her here."

Naruto slapped his forehead. "So we've got an injured miko running around Suna, either terrorizing the villagers or being terrorized."

"This'll be fun."

"Tons."

It wasn't.

* * *

Xin's chest heaved as she pressed her back against a building. She was exhausted, covered in sand and sweat and she was almost certain that she was suffering from sunburn. Her energy was low, which gave her the advantage of sneaking around Suna undetected. Escaping had to be the dumbest thing she's ever done. Even though she managed to escape Rasa, she was stuck in the demon realm. It wasn't like she could just walk up to a random demon and ask them to open a portal to the human realm, Tokyo, to be exact.

She was dumb, sure, but she stuck it to Rasa and that's all that mattered.

"Oi, why are you hiding in the dark, pretty girl?"

Xin blinked back into reality, staring up at two demons. One had strong features that reminded her of a warthog while the other one looked relatively normal except for the dangerous horn protruding from his forehead. She did not have time for this. The warthog grinned widely, leaning down and shoving his face into hers. His friend leaned into the wall, blocking her escape. Xin scowled up at the two, eyes glinting in the dim light. "Oi, Bebop, Rocksteady, back off."

"There's no need to be so mean," Rocksteady grinned down at her, crowding her.

Bebop took a long sniff of her, snout-like nose nearly pressed against her forehead. "You smell…." he trailed off, taking another long sniff of her. Drool began dropping from his mouth in long, disgusting strands. "...delicious."

Eyes wide, Xin reacted quicker than Bebop moved. She ducked and rolled out of the way, dodging the clawed hand crashing into the wall. "You smell delicious," Rocksteady repeated as Xin straightened up.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard him the first time," Xin snapped, taking a cautious step back. Her eyes darted back and forth frantically, trying to figure out how to get away. She clearly wasn't stronger than either demon and she was already running low on her energy. One thing she really needed to work on was using her energy without exhausting herself so quickly.

Bebop charged towards her, hands outstretched. Xin steadily reminded herself that she would have to keep herself safe and not depend on anyone coming to save her. She had to remind herself that while she wasn't exceptionally strong, she knew how to defend herself.

Xin feinted to the right, foot twisting in the sand as she stabilized her stance. She threw a hard punch to his jaw, spiritual energy bursting from her fist. Bebop fell backwards, caught completely off guard as his face began to burn away. Before he could screech in pain, Xin delivered a swift kick that knocked him out cold.

Her head snapped up to look at Rocksteady, hair falling into her face. A strange look overtook her face as she stared at the demon, waiting for him to make a move. The element of surprise was now gone and she wasn't sure if she had it in her to conjure up another burst of energy.

Rocksteady stared back at her, clearly disturbed by what she'd done. He eased forward, never breaking eye contact as he grabbed Bebop. Whatever this girl was, he wanted no part of it, whether she smelled good or not. It wasn't worth having his jaw burned off of his face.

Xin watched them retreat, taking a deep breath once they vanished out of sight. With that last burst of energy, she could barely hold herself up. She stumbled into the wall, leaning her full weight against it. Before she could stumbling off into another dark alleyway, a strong hand grasped her by her bicep.

Xin turned sharply, eyes wide. For a moment, she was sure that she was staring up at Rasa. Fear churned in the pit of her stomach but upon closer inspection, it wasn't Rasa. He didn't look as...mean as Rasa. Only slightly irritated. "That was impressive but I gotta tell ya, miko, I didn't enjoy hunting you around Suna," he tightened his grip on her bicep and pulled her away from the wall. "So try not to...what is it that you do?"

Xin sighed tiredly, "Purify."

"Right. Try not to purify me. I'm just doing what the old man told me to do, alright? Besides, I suggested that we just leave you to Suna. I mean, you wandered right into the badlands so someone would have eventually killed you," the man went on, tugging her out of the alleyway.

"Who're you? Xin slurred, sounding completely exhausted. She was sure that the only reason she hadn't collapsed yet was because of the grip on her arm.

"Kankuro, the second and mostly forgotten child of Rasa."

"Well, that's depressing," Xin quipped while being dragged through Suna. "I can relate. I'm Xin, second and disappointing child of Hiashi," she introduced herself. Kankuro glanced down at her, an amused grin threatening to break his annoyed facade. "So, is he mad enough to kill me?"

Kankuro scratched his jaw with his other hand. "Probably. You made a fool out of him, miko."

"That was the plan."

He glanced down at her. "I like you. Shame you gotta die."

Xin only nodded, "Real shame."

The conversation stopped there, silence filling the air as Kankuro escorted Xin to her death. Villagers ogled the odd sight of Kankuro walking a bedraggled girl through the village, smelling of snow and lunar dust. As they neared Rasa's domain, they could make out the older demon's figure standing at the top of the stairs. Xin readied herself to be slapped, it seemed like everyone's favorite pastime. Kankuro guided her up the staircase, pausing in front of his father. Xin quietly wished they wouldn't make her kneel to Rasa, her knees were bruised and bleeding and kneeling in the hot sand would make everything worse. Masaru stood behind Rasa, grinning all the while.

For a long time, no one said anything. It seemed like everyone was content to stare at Xin. It was beginning to make her uncomfortable. And in uncomfortable situations, Xin tended to just blurt words out. "Are you going to kill me now? Cause if not, I'll die of sun cancer," she jerked her thumb upwards towards the sun.

"You've impressed me, miko."

Xin blinked, Kankuro choked and Masaru blanched but Rasa only nodded. "You brainwashed my son, purified Kenta, killed a demon and escaped from me. Well done."

"Seriously?" Xin squawked in disbelief.

"But it will not happen again. You're going to stay put and wait for death like a good little human," Rasa stated, waving at Masaru. The demon quickly composed himself, stepping towards Xin. He circled her and pulled her arm from Kankuro, bounding her by the wrists. "I won't be made a fool again, miko. Stay in your place."

Masaru grabbed her away from Kankuro, grinning all the while. "Careful, Masaru," Kankuro spoke casually, eyeing the other demon. "I just watched her knock a demon's jaw off," he advised him, not liking the look in his eyes. Masaru scowled down at Xin's head but said nothing else, roughly dragging her inside. Kankuro and Rasa watched them go, both of them looking equally thoughtful. "That's an interesting woman right there," Kankuro decided after a long pause.

"Very. Now go get your sister and tell her she doesn't have to look for the miko," Rasa ordered curtly. He patted Kankuro on the shoulder. "And good job."

Kankuro left after that, rolling his eyes. He wasn't sure why it was his job to track wayward women around but he couldn't question Rasa. Luckily for him, it was easier to track his sister down. She was down in the southside of Suna.

"Yo, sis, call the search party off," Kankuro waved her down. Temari stopped in her tracks, clearly confused. "I found the miko. She was in the badlands, can you believe that?"

The blood drained from Temari's face as she regarded her younger brother. "Where is she now?" she demanded tensely, hands twisting at her sleeve nervously.

"I took her back to Rasa. He actually told her that she impressed him. We were all shocked. I also watched her knock a demon's jaw off. That girl is a hellcat."

Temari bit her bottom lip. "Well...alright. You go on ahead...I'll catch up in a bit…" she trailed off, hoping Kankuro wouldn't question her. He didn't, thankfully, and left her. Temari let out a string of quiet curses. She didn't bother checking the badlands because she thought Xin would be smarter to avoid the slums.

Apparently not.

Now she had to find Gaara again.

* * *

Xin didn't fight Masaru as he, once again, manhandled her down several hallways. She wasn't sure if it was because her hands were tied behind her back or the exhaustion that weighed her down, but she didn't fight him. "You're good, miko, I'll enjoy breaking you," Masaru announced smugly, shoving her back into her tiny room. It smelled of death, she noted numbly. "Rasa was impressed with you but that won't save you from death."

"My name is Xin," Xin found herself saying, annoyed that everyone insisted on calling her 'miko'.

Masaru grinned impishly, stepping so close to her that his breath fanned against the back of her neck. "You'll die here, Xin," he breathed almost sweetly against her skin. Xin tensed up, whirling around to scowl up at him. She didn't care if her hands were bound behind her back, she'd kick the shit out of him.

"You hate living in Gaara's shadow, don't you?" she asked quietly, looking him straight in the eye. "You do everything Rasa says but he's only concerned about Gaara. You wanted Matsuri first, didn't you? But she's so far up Gaara's ass she's never even considered you," still bound, Xin took a step closer to Masaru, nearly standing under his chin.

Her eyes were hard, scrutinizing. "That's what you meant when you said he can't have everything. You want to see me die because you think it'll hurt him," her voice came out in a soothing tone but held so much malice. "My death won't change anything," like before, her eyes were glinting ominously. "You'll still be stuck in his shadow and I'll be dead. You'll still be pathetic."

A vicious snarl erupted from Masaru as he slammed into Xin. He knocked her straight off of her feet and onto the bed, both of them scrambling. Xin was at a severe disadvantage with her hands secured tightly behind her back but that didn't stop her. She bucked against him, using her hips to throw him off.

Xin jumped to her feet, darting towards the door. Masaru, from his place on the floor, reached for her. He caught her ankle in a tight grip, claws sinking into her skin. Blood spurted from the punctures but he paid it no mind, yanking her backwards. She toppled over, grunting as she hit the floor. Masaru pulled himself to his knees, ripping his claws from her flesh. He reached for her, claws cutting deep rivulets into her legs, waist and arms.

"You speak of things you don't understand," Masaru snarled, leaning over her. His nails sank deeply into her waist, drawing a painful gasp from her. Blood leaked out, soaking her stained skirt and the floor beneath her. She squirmed under him, dragging his claws back and forth in her skin. Masaru pressed his face to her neck, inhaling deeply. "Wretched bitch," he rasped into her neck, sharp teeth sliding dangerously against her flesh. He moved back slightly, flipping her over onto her back. "I'll enjoy breaking you."

Xin hooked her legs around his waist and twisted her hips, flinging him off of her again. It was awkward trying to fight him off with her hands tied together but that wouldn't stop her. He insisted on 'breaking' her and she wasn't sure if he meant he would outright kill her or if planned on torturing her but she had no plans to find out.

She sat up at the same time he did and hurried to shove her foot at his face. Her foot connected with his face, disorientating him for a moment. She kicked him again, foot crashing against his face for the second time. It wasn't hard enough to break his neck but it gave her enough time to struggle to her feet.

Masaru took a disoriented swipe at her, claws cutting through the rope binding her hands together. She stumbled towards the door, ignoring his angry snarls and insults thrown at her back. She heard him clamber to his feet just as she fell against the door. She had just a bit, a lemon-sized bit of power still nestled inside her….

The door was wrenched open almost violently. Xin let out a small shriek at the feel of falling, grunting when she landed against something hard. It certainly wasn't the floor, her muddled brain reminded her, it wasn't as cold. She'd spent enough time with her face on the floor to tell the difference.

Hands grasped at her biceps, stained immediately by her blood flow. Masaru's snarls had ceased, suddenly he was as quiet as a church mouse. She couldn't be bothered to turn around to see why, opting instead to look up.

"Oh…" she mumbled almost dumbly. "Gaara."

* * *

Demons were a special breed, often ruled by emotion. Although each demon would deny a claim like that. They were fiercely protective of what they deemed as theirs and didn't take disrespect lightly.

It was even worse when a demon developed romantic feelings towards another being. Even the slightest form of disrespect was enough to set a demon off. Gaara, unfortunately, happened to be one of the worst cases when it came to things like this. As Matsuri said, he felt too deeply but luckily the handful of people he'd lose his temper for were all respectable, powerful demons and demoness.

Xin, however, was not.

Xin was tiny, fragile and so human that it almost hurt. She was easy to bruise, to bleed and to break. And it was clear that the past couple of days had been spent trying to break her. She looked horrible, sporting a large smattering of bruises, deep gouges that ran red, dried blood from halfway healing cuts and on top of all of that, she looked absolutely exhausted.

The little human stumbled, laying her full weight on him as the world tilted on its axis. Her head was spinning and she wasn't sure if her mind just conjured up Gaara in a moment of desperation. "Hello, you," she muttered in a daze. "I've missed you, so nice to see you. You're getting my blood on you, you should probably let go."

He could only assume that if he let go, she would drop to the floor. Masaru finally gathered his wits, warily watching Gaara overtop of Xin's head. One of Gaara's hands dropped to her waist while the other reached for her face, thumb pressing against her bottom lip. "I'm sorry for taking so long," he muttered quietly, eyes focused on nothing but her. In her daze, Xin puckered her lips against his thumb. He distracted himself by rubbing soothing circles into her waist. "What was going on in here?"

"Oh," Xin blinked her big eyes at him. "Masaru was going to….." she blinked again. "Break me? I'm not sure what he meant but his claws hurt.."

Gaara nodded along to her words and then slowly guided her to the side, pushing her into Kankuro. Xin didn't seem to mind, turning her airy smile on him. He, however, seemed entirely uncomfortable with the prospect of holding the miko but said nothing. "Take her to my room," Gaara waved them away, stepping into the room.

It was like someone leaned over and flipped a switch in Gaara. He'd gone from being completely calm to nearly suffocating them all with his energy. It bared down on them angrily, threatening to overwhelm them all. The door closed behind Gaara, somewhat muffling the feeling of drowning.

"Well," Kankuro shifted Xin, carefully sliding his hands under her. "Masaru is probably going to die. Let's get going," he hummed in an upbeat tone. If Xin wasn't so out of it from blood loss, she probably would have given the demon a strange look. He turned away, going down several hallways and eventually running into Temari. "Oh, good," Kankuro grinned at the sight of his sister. "Here," he handed Xin over like she was some sort of package and not a human being. "Clean her up, she's bleeding all over the place."

"Do I look like a nursemaid?" Temari scowled irritably but accepted the bundle that was Xin. She was alarmed, however, to see that Xin was really bleeding all over the place. Xin had fallen out of consciousness some time ago, her head resting against Temari's collarbone.

"No, you look like a Temari," Kankuro grinned impishly, glad that she was too busy holding Xin that she couldn't hit him. "I have to go back and stop Gaara from killing Masaru…."

Temari paled but nodded stiffly, turning back around. Kankuro watched her go, noting how entirely comfortable his sister was carrying Xin around. Vaguely he wondered if his sister had fallen for the human's ways like their brother had.

It wasn't his business.

* * *

Xin's eyes popped open rather easily. She blinked several times, confused and unaware of her location. The bed underneath her was far too soft and large, she realized, rolling to her side. She pressed a hand to her face, feeling something tight and constricting around her arms, waist, hips and legs.

"—alive?"

Xin blinked again, dropping her hand and looking to her left. Kankuro was next to her, lounging rather casually against the headboard of the bed. She should be alarmed that she'd been in bed with a demon but Xin only regarded him with a blank gaze. Kankuro stared back at him, hands folded neatly in his lap. "Close enough," he decided with a shrug.

"So I'm not dead?"

"Not yet."

Xin only huffed, slowly sitting up to her knees. She realized that the tight restrictions were thick bandages to stave her heavy bleeding. She also realized that her dirty clothes had been swapped for cleaner fabrics and she'd been bathed. She squinted up at him, wondering if he actually had the audacity to bathe and change her while she was clocked out.

"Temari said you smelled like the badlands so she cleaned you up," Kankuro pointed out, noticing her look of disdain. "I just got put on babysitting duty."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because you're a flight risk. Every time you're left by yourself, you're causing trouble."

"No, Genius, I know that," Xin rolled her eyes and instantly regretted it. "I mean, why as in why are you on babysitting duty?"

"Because Gaara and Rasa are probably screaming at each other and Temari is the peacemaker. Usually I make everything worse with my comments so I was kicked onto babysitting duty."

"Gaara?"

"...Is that seriously all you heard?"

Xin smiled tiredly and shook her head. "I just..I thought he was a hallucination, is all…" she muttered to herself. She stiffened suddenly, an off look taking over her face. "Take me to Rasa."

"What?" Kankuro only blinked at her as shifted closer to the edge of the bed. "I know you're a bit screwy, miko, but there's no way—"

"My name is Xin, dammit! And I'm not screwy, I have to talk to your whackjob of a father so get your shit into gear and take me to him right now!"

Kankuro stared down at the human, completely speechless. He, like many other demons, had never come across someone quite like Xin. He outclassed her and could have easily killed her at that moment. She was weak and helpless and depend on others to protect her. For some odd reason unknown to him, that didn't stop her from yelling her demands at him.

Wordlessly he slid off of the bed and reached for her, easily scooping her up. "Fine but if Rasa tries to strangle you on sight, I'm not fighting him off."

"No wonder you're the forgotten child."

"That was just low."

"I know, that's why I said it."

Kankuro snorted as he carried Xin through the long hallways. He really did like her, she was surprisingly snarky and quick-witted. It was a shame that she most likely wouldn't live much longer. Even if Gaara finally showed up, her death sentence had already been signed. It was inevitable and Kankuro pitied the loudmouthed runt.

He wondered what it was she wanted to even talk to Rasa about. There was no way in Hell she was changing his mind. The only one who could successfully change Rasa's mind about anything was Karura and she was far too weak to put up with his attitude at the moment. Kankuro's stomach sank. His mother's illness was getting worse with each passing day. It wouldn't be long before it took her completely…

As they neared Rasa's rooms, they started to hear shouts full of rage echoing and bouncing off the walls. Xin frowned softly, reaching up to wrap her arms around Kankuro's neck. She pulled herself up, reclining in his arms as Kankuro slipped into the room. It was like a throne room, she noted, now that she wasn't being carried over a shoulder.

"Kankuro," Rasa noticed them first, eyes narrowed. His gaze dropped down towards Xin disapprovingly. Gaara turned, eyes going wide at the sight of them. "Is there a reason you brought _that_ in here?"

Kankuro made a face, already aware that Xin was about to cause a scene. " _That_ has a name, dammit, and it's Xin," she snapped with a snarl. If Kankuro hadn't been holding her, he would have smacked his forehead in exasperation. If she wanted to talk to his father, snapping at him wasn't the way to go.

She was eased carefully to her feet, a hand pressed firmly to her back to keep her balanced. "Okay, just hear me out," Xin started first, not moving away from Kankuro. "Hopefully this will prove my innocence…" she muttered the last part, forgetting that they could all hear her just fine. "Your wife isn't sick," she uttered slowly, cringing at the look of absolute hate in Rasa's eyes. "She's dying."

Rasa lunged for Xin, hands outstretched towards her neck. She let out a startled yelp as Kankuro grabbed the back of her bandeau bra and yanked her backwards. Gaara jumped forward, grabbing his father and pulling him away from Xin. "Tread lightly," Rasa snarled hatefully. "You speak of things you don't know."

"But I do!" Xin cried over Kankuro's broad shoulder, perched on the tips of her toes. "Gaara, do you remember when Masuyo cursed me to die?" she turned her gaze on the redhead, finally acknowledging him. He held her stare, something odd in his eyes as he regarded her. Quietly, he nodded. "Okay, I had to have the darkness purified or I would have died," Xin quickly continued, somewhat nervous under Gaara's odd gaze.

"When I left, I left through the window in Karura's room. I...she woke up and I...I touched her and it hurt so bad. There was so much...pain and evilness coming from her and that's when I realized it. It isn't some weird sickness that's been plaguing her. Masuyo cursed Karura to die slowly."

The room was silent as the demonic family regarded the little miko. The only one who didn't seem as surprised was Temari. It made a lot of sense and she knew she'd been right but her stubborn father never listened. "Mom...she'll die?" Kankuro was the first to speak up, eyes trained solely on the girl he pulled away from his father. Xin tilted her head towards him, light eyes shining.

"...Yeah, I think so…" Xin trailed off quietly. "But I can fix it!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I can heal her, I can purify the darkness in her."

Rasa's anger slowly died away into suspicion. "You think I would actually trust you near Karura?" he asked flatly. "You're a miko and she's a demon, you don't heal us. You purify us."

Temari looked in between the two, nervous as to what Xin would say next. Karura had a chance to live and Rasa was going to throw it away because he had trust issues. Xin blinked at him, lips pinched. "I just said that I could heal her, why would I lie?"

Rasa's suspicious look didn't waver. "Why wouldn't you?"

Xin finally stepped around Kankuro but didn't stray from his side. Whether any of them admitted it or not, Xin had the upper hand. Karura was important to them and she basically held her life in her hands. "Because I'm not an evil person. Mean? Yes. Sarcastic? Of course—"

"Insane?"

"Shut up, Gaara," Xin pouted at him. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm not wicked, that's not what being a miko is about. We help people, even if maybe they don't always deserve it," she cut her eyes at Rasa. "I'm not saying Karura doesn't deserve help because she hasn't done anything to me. I'm saying _you_ don't deserve my help."

Kankuro grabbed at her arm, ready to pull her out of the way again if his father attacked. "The past...three days, was it? I don't even know what day it is but the past couple of days has been absolutely Hell for me. I've been slapped, punched, body slammed, gouged at and someone tried to rape and eat me. For whatever reason, that shit is normal to you. That's not normal to me, scare tactics and torture is not normal. That's not leadership, in the human realm, we call that dictatorship.

I think I have every right to say fuck you and your wife's life at this point. And what would you do about that? More torture? You can't always get what you want because you might be physically stronger than someone else. You can't just bully people because you don't know who's help you might eventually need."

The room settled into another silence, this time awkward. Xin stood her ground, not willing to budge. She'd meant what she said and she wasn't going to let Rasa bully her any longer. She hadn't done a damn thing wrong. Of course she had every intention of healing Karura but that didn't mean she would do it without ripping Rasa a new one.

"Hmph," Rasa scowled at the tiny human but didn't argue her point. "Leave me for the time being, miko," he growled in a way that reminded her of Gaara. She blinked at the order and glanced in between the siblings, wondering if it was alright for her to leave on her own.

"Uh…" Kankuro grabbed at her elbow, turning her towards the door. "C'mon, midget, I'll take you back and you can tell me all about being a miko," he suggested, dragging her away. Xin sputtered, looking over her shoulder at Gaara. She wanted to hug him and slap him at the same time but wasn't given the chance so far.

" _Midget_?!"

The door eased shut behind the two, Kankuro's laughter bouncing off the walls along with Xin's yelling.

* * *

Xin pushed the tray of food away and slowly climbed off of the bed. After leaving Rasa to stew, Kankuro stayed with her for a little while in Gaara's room. They two got along surprisingly well seeing as how they'd just met only hours ago. But even so, he eventually left her on her own after having food delivered for her.

Xin studied the large bedroom, marveling at the furniture and all the trinkets decorating the room. She was so used to having Gaara around in the human realm that she'd forgotten he had a life in the demon realm. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. She wasn't sure what was going to happen at this point. Would he send her back to her realm on her own? Would he come back with her? Where in the world did they stand and just what the fuck took him so long?

Xin made her way to the floor-length mirror attached to the wall, self-consciously checking her appearance. She looked like absolute hell, sporting blood stained bandages and different colored bruises. She wanted to strangle Temari for putting her back into that same slave-girl outfit, broadcasting her awful injuries.

She cringed at her reflection, there was no saving her appearance. At least she'd been bathed and no longer smelled like the badlands, whatever the fuck that smelled like. It pissed her off that she was even fretting this much over her appearance. She hadn't cared until Gaara finally came around and that irked her.

Xin spent the last month trying to convince herself and everyone around her that she didn't feel anything for Gaara. But the truth of the matter was that she did actually harbor a crush on him. It made sense why she didn't fight him off when he kissed her or why she'd gotten so upset over him kissing Matsuri. It made sense why she desperately insisted that she could be his, if he wanted. It was embarrassing but she wanted that psycho bad and she wanted him to want her just as bad.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he wanted Matsuri more. They were both demons, had more in common and had a history together. What the hell did she have with Gaara? A mutual headache?

Suddenly she didn't want to see him so bad.

Her eyes swept the room, entertaining the idea of escaping out of the window once again. Usually she was fearless but at the moment, all she wanted to do was crawl under her blankets and hide out in her bed all day. She didn't want to face Gaara because that meant facing rejection and Xin did not do well with rejection.

She was so busy fretting that she barely heard the shuffling behind her. She heard it at the last second and glanced behind her in the mirror, excited and nervous to finally talk to Gaara. While she was nervous to deal with him in the romantic sort of sense, she was still happy to see him. "God, Gaara, finally—" she came to a screeching halt, a frown pulling at her lips as she stared into the mirror.

Masaru stood behind her.

Xin whirled around, staring up at him silently. He looked mostly okay except for the nasty mess that was now his face. Four claw marks six inches deep ran the length of his face, disfiguring the left side permanently and pulling his features downward. Xin cringed at the bloody gashes in his face, backing up towards the mirror.

Masaru scowled at her menacingly, hands balling up into fists. "You," he sneered angrily. "You did this to me," he accused her, taking a heavy step towards her.

"Me? I didn't do that, it isn't my fault," Xin argued incredulously, back pressed tightly against the mirror. "If you want to pick a fight and blame someone, go find Gaara."

"It is!" Masaru snapped with a vicious snarl, slamming his hands against the mirror. Xin flinched, hoping the glass wouldn't shatter with her trapped against it. "It's your fault, you had to fight back. You couldn't take what was coming to you."

"I wasn't going to just sit there and let you murder me," Xin hissed back, pressing her hands against his chest. She was at a disadvantage here. While she did have energy to purify, she was planning on using it for Karura. She wasn't that great of a healer compared to her sister and she would need every ounce of energy to help Karura. She could try to catch him off guard and punch him in the face but she was trapped against the mirror with no room to actually swing.

Now would be a good time for Gaara or anyone to come by.

"They're with Karura, they won't be concerned for you for some time," Masaru smiled, seemingly reading her mind. His smile pulled uncomfortably at his scars.

"Torturing or killing me won't make a difference, Masaru," she tried softly, knowing that physically fighting him wasn't going to work. Hell, he probably wanted her to put up a fight.

Masaru let out a chuckle but it sounded empty to her. He curved down over her, mouth hovering far too close to hers. "No, but it'll make me happy."

Realization set in almost immediately. Her eyes grew wide at the statement and she pressed harder against his chest. This psycho was truly going to kill her over something she had no control over. "Get off of me," she uttered tensely, trying to shove him away from her.

The two struggled, Xin throwing errant punches and slaps in a bid to get him off of her. Masaru restrained her with ease, pinning her arms to her sides. He lifted her with ease and threw her to the bed effortlessly. Xin's injuries began bleeding heavily, soaking her bandages as she scrambled away. He caught her and pulled her back, pinning her hands above her head.

Panic settled in as she continued to struggle against him. She felt her hands tighten together and realized in the back of her mind that he restrained her. If she wasn't so panicked, she would have asked where he was constantly getting all this rope to bound her together. "It'll be better if you stop struggling," Masaru pressed his face into her neck, rasping against her skin. A coldness took over, nestling into her veins and freezing her blood. This could not be happening right now. She'd done all that fighting back to avoid this very thing only for it to happen with Gaara just hallways away.

"Masaru, stop," Xin tried to urge him away, her voice taking on a desperate tilt as his claws sank easily into her torso. She cursed Temari again for putting her into such a skimpy outfit and damning her to a fate of dying in a slave girl outfit. "You can't do this, it won't solve anything."

"I can do this," he hissed back, watching as her face contorted into pain.

"Stop it," Xin snapped under him, feeling disgust settle at the glee hidden in his eyes. "I don't want this. Stop," she pleaded to deaf ears. He plucked his claws from her skin, gently drawing the bloodstained tips across her abdomen. It felt absolutely disgusting and she wanted it to stop the moment it began.

"I don't care about what you want," Masaru bit just under her bustline, drawing blood and a pained gasp from her. The scent of her own blood was overwhelming, causing her mind to spin and her stomach to lurch. "It's not about what you want. It's about what I want," he whispered in a soft tone. "And I want to break you."

* * *

Gaara sighed heavily, rubbing at the back of his neck. He loved his mother but sometimes he wished he could avoid seeing her. Not because he didn't want to see her but because he didn't want to see her in such a weakened state. She hadn't been well since he was young and now it was discovered that it wasn't even a sickness.

Karura had been slowly dying for years and they'd all been too ignorant to tell the difference. It took Xin, who was spacey, to discover that it was a curse and not a sickness. Rasa was absolutely livid, making him even harder to deal with. They weren't sure if it was because he'd been tricked by Masuyo or if it was because Xin had been the one to tell him but he was pissed beyond Hell.

Temari had tried to tell him, she revealed during their heated argument. She tried to reason with him and allow Xin to heal her earlier. Even if she had been unaware that Karura was cursed, she still had the idea that Xin could potentially heal the sickness they believed was plaguing her. But, of course, Rasa and his ridiculous ego and trust issues nixed the idea immediately. They were running short on time and Karura could have been healed.

This family was a nightmare.

He'd finally been released from sitting with his family as they argued and debated on what to do. Rasa was still iffy about letting Xin near Karura but Temari and Gaara were all for it. Gaara trusted Xin not to harm his mother, even though Xin had been harmed time and time again in Rasa's care. She really wasn't an evil person and she understood that Karura deserved no backlash. Kankuro had joined the conversation halfway through after revealing that he left Xin in Gaara's room with some food. No one would be dumb enough to go into Gaara's area to harm the miko.

Clearly they didn't know just how dumb some demons were.

In hindsight, he should have known something was bound to go down. Xin was a danger magnet and it was sad because she just couldn't help it. She was just trying to live her life as normally as possible but there was something lurking around every single corner. And Xin, oblivious as she was, wandered right into danger each time. So knowing that simple fact, he should have known that something was bound to happen.

About halfway to his rooms, he reached out towards her energy. It still wasn't as high as it should have been but it was so much better than when he first arrived home. It felt like it was the size of a candle's flame when he first encountered her all those hours ago. It worried him that she insisted on healing his mother when she herself needed medical attention. However, he knew it would be unwise to take her to Hinata and bring her back fully healed. Rasa was seemingly unaware of Hinata's presence in Suna and it would stay that way.

But then he felt another energy signature intertwining with Xin's energy. He paused, caught off guard, and wondered who the hell was with her at the moment. Kankuro had gone off towards him own rooms while Temari stayed with Karura and Rasa. He closed his eyes, concentrating on identifying the energy.

And then his blood ran cold.

Gaara ripped through the hallways, ignoring other demons as they scrambled to get out of his way. They didn't have to feel his energy to know that Gaara was on a murderous mission. It was in his eyes, in the way his shoulders were squared, as he raced by them towards his room.

He threw his door open and hurried towards the bedroom of his territory, blood feeling cold and heavy in his veins. It was clear Masaru wouldn't stop until Xin was dead or he was dead. Kankuro had stopped him earlier from killing him, insisting that while he was annoying, Rasa preferred to keep him around. It was because of Masaru that Gaara could easily shuck most of his responsibilities. He was always willing to pick up Gaara's slack, Kankuro reminded him, and that was the only reason Gaara hadn't torn his face from his skull completely.

But now this motherfucker had snuck into his rooms while he was busy with his family to harm Xin and Gaara would not let that slide. It was bad enough that he'd been caught wounding a dazed Xin earlier. Gaara had spared him, been lenient, and ordered him to stay away from Xin.

He was expecting a scene like much earlier, some sort of scuffle taking place. He was not, however, expecting to burst into his bedroom to see Masaru pinning Xin down on his bed with his hands wrapped around her throat, half-naked, and grinding his hips into hers. Xin was mostly hidden from view, her legs trembling around Masaru's waist, hands bound tightly above her head.

The ice in his veins suddenly felt like fire. It was like something had ignited something within him, an uncontrollable rage that could not, _refused_ to be tamed. It rolled off of him in waves and he watched as Masaru's hips came to a slow stop. He sat up and slowly turned towards him, eyes unbelievably wide. Xin's face came into view, eyes popping open as the anger washed over her as well.

Underneath all of his rage, he could feel his heart twist. She looked terrified, unshed tears clinging to dark lashes as she stared back at him. She trusted him to take care of her, to keep her out of harm's way and he failed. He failed to keep her safe from Rasa, from Kenta, from Suna.

He saw red.

Gaara barreled into Masaru, eliciting a choked gasp from him as they tumbled off of the bed. Xin rolled over, dodging any flailing limbs as she curled into a ball. They hit the floor harshly, Gaara on top as his wrapped his hands around Masaru's throat. "I'll kill you," he snarled, blue eyes shifting into a vibrant gold. His pupils mutated and the whites of his eyes burned away into black as Masaru struggled under him.

Xin unfurled from her tight ball, rolling off of the bed. She hit the floor with a dull thump, landing on her knees. She was deaf to the snarls and cursing coming from her left as she struggled to her feet. She wanted out, she wanted to get away. She was tired, exhausted of Gaara's family and associates. She was seconds away from saying 'fuck Karura, send me home'.

Xin stumbled out of Gaara's rooms, bound hands now pressed to her chest as she leaned against the walls for support. A blood trail followed her uneven steps, leading anyone after her if they wanted. But she didn't care at the moment. She just had to get the fuck away.

"What the fuck—Xin?"

Hands suddenly reached for her, blood staining them when he came into contact with her skin. Bleary eyes turned upwards to look at Jura. He sliced her the rope binding her wrists together, watching as her arms fell back to her sides. "Oh, hey," she muttered. "Welcome back, I guess."

Jura let out a string of curses, momentarily looking over her head into the direction she'd just come from. He could hear the sounds of a fight and felt Gaara's murderous energy. "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble," he looked back at Xin, hands reaching to pick her up. She looped her arm around his neck, holding onto her wrist with her unoccupied hand.

"Are you new here?" Xin snorted, sagging in his embrace. "Besides, you said to keep my mouth shut," she pointed out. "I did this time. I was just defending myself. And anyway, where have you been?"

Jura glanced down at her, noting that other demons made sure to stay out of his way. "I was in your realm, remember? I found Matsuri...she's being held hostage by Tenten and her mom."

Xin blinked, letting the words settle in. "She's being held hostage by Tenten and Xiourang…?"

"Yeah, they've got her in this bubble. Apparently it was your sister's idea to keep her stationary. She was cursing up a storm when I got there but Tenten's mother didn't even react. That woman is terrifying," Jura explained with a slight shiver. Xin let out a tired laugh, she could just see Xiourang carrying on as if there wasn't an angry demoness trapped in a bubble in her basement. God, she missed everyone.

"Listen, Xin, I talked to Matsuri and—"

"Oh what the absolute hell?"

Temari was suddenly there, hands on her hips as she regarded the two. "I just cleaned you up!" she growled, stomping up to them. Jura almost fought the blonde off when she reached for Xin but thought better of it. "How a human manages to get into so much trouble is beyond me.."

"I think Xin just has a special knack for it," Jura pointed out wryly, following after the blonde as she stormed away.

"It's true, I do."

She was settled onto another soft bed and nearly sank into it. Now that her adrenaline had worn off, the pain from fighting with Masaru once again, began to settle in. She could hear Temari muttering in distaste as she stripped the ruined bandages off to access the damage. Her healing cuts had split open once more along with the new gashes.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Temari grumbled with a scowl. "Xin, what happened?"

"Masaru happened," Xin huffed, shying away with Temari came at her with a bowl of healing salve. She did not like that shit, it felt really cold at first and then heated up like a damn hot iron. Jura noticed her squirming and sat down next to her, holding her in place. "He really has the obsession with Gaara…"

Temari nodded along to her words, cleaning the gushing wounds. "He must have thought hurting you would hurt Gaara. Instead, he signed his own death warrant. I doubt Gaara will let him off easy this time, even if he likes to do all of Rasa's dirty work…"

"You think so?" Xin cringed, taking deep breaths.

"Well, for one, no one was permitted to go into Gaara's rooms while he wasn't presence," Temari began, trying her best to be gentle. "That's just blatant disrespect. Shortly after Kankuro returned you to Gaara's rooms, both he and Rasa made it clear that you were to be left alone. So Masaru disregarding that is disregarding their authority…"

"Yeah and you don't disregard Rasa's authority…not in his domain," Jura added onto her words, hands rubbing soothing circles in Xin's shoulders. "Which is surprising that you're still alive given how you behaved this entire time."

"Rasa can fuck off," Xin grumbled with a sniff, tears gathering as Temari applied the salve. "And so can Masaru. I'm tired and I want to go home…" she muttered sullenly as Temari began to bind her wounds with fresh bandages.

"I know," Jura caressed her head soothingly, shifting his fingers through her hair. Temari watched the motion with hawk-like eyes, wondering what was going through Jura's head at that moment. "You'll go home soon, don't worry," he reassured her in a soft tone. Temari almost wanted to slap his hand away from Xin. It was just too...intimate, for her tastes. She was bias, obviously, quietly wondering when her brother would claim the young miko. By the look on Jura's face, Gaara needed to act quickly.

"Now," Temari sat back from the miko. "You're going to stay here with me until Gaara gets here. It's become quite clear that leaving you on your own spells trouble."

"I didn't even do anything this time," Xin grumbled as Jura helped her sit up. "Where's Gaara, what's taking him so long?" she asked distractedly. She was fine with Temari and Jura but she was at her breaking point. She knew Gaara, she felt entirely safe with him and she just wanted to go home.

"He'll be along shortly," Jura murmured softly, hand caressing the crown of her head.

"As soon as he's done with Masaru, he'll come. In fact," Temari cut her eyes at Jura. "Why don't you go check on him, Jura? I'm sure that Masaru is dead by now."

Jura's hand stilled on the crown of Xin's head, eyes slowly traveling towards Temari. She was staring back at him, gaze still hard. He opened his mouth to protest the notion, there was no need to go looking for Gaara when he was angry, but thought better of it. Temari was staring at him hard, waiting for him to fuck up. "Yeah, alright," Jura dipped his head in a nod. The last thing he needed was to deal with Gaara after murdering someone. He was going to be in a foul mood, especially since Xin was involved. He heaved himself up, brushing his fingers against her jawline before bounding off after Gaara.

Temari watched him go before fixing Xin with a curious look. "Xin? Is there something going on between you and Jura?" she asked carefully. She liked Xin a lot, that much was obvious, but she wouldn't condone it if Xin was leading either demon on. She was playing a dangerous game if that was the case.

"Me and Jura?" Xin's face pulled. "Not that I know of…." she trailed off with genuine innocence. Temari continued to stare at her, lips pursed. If Xin spoke the truth and nothing was truly going on, then it was Jura who played a dangerous game.

There was no such thing as sharing. At least, not when Gaara was involved. Some demons didn't care if there were other liaisons in the relationship. Some relations were formed for the sake of power or other necessities and it wasn't frowned upon to seek physical relations elsewhere. Gaara, however, had a problem with relationships like that. He was a possessive demon and with Xin being human and significantly weaker, he was also freakishly protective.

Temari made a long noise in her throat but left it alone. If Jura wanted to gamble his life for a few stolen moments with an oblivious human, that was his business.

Xin took a deep breath and heaved herself up off of the bed, stumbling slightly. Temari reached thoughtlessly forward, catching her by the shoulder to steady her. "Where do you think you're going, miko?" she asked with an amused smile.

"This has been a ball, really, fighting for my life has just been oodles of fun but I think it's time I get back home. Let's get to Karura so I can heal her. I miss my sister."

Temari stood, amused smile now gone for a frown. "What about Gaara?" she reminded Xin of his impending arrival. "Besides, shouldn't you rest first? Maybe get some sleep? You look exhausted."

Xin only shook her head. "Sleep is for the weak," she insisted stubbornly. "And he'll catch up. Just take me to your mother."

Although she was apprehensive about it, Temari did what she was asked of, leading the tiny human out of her rooms. They didn't say much as they traveled through the candlelight hallways. Other, lesser, demons made sure to stay out of their way. At this point, it was quite obvious that the human miko among them was not one to be messed with. She was physically weaker, smaller and more fragile than any of them but had proved more than once that she would not back down. She fought with Masaru, seriously injured Kenta, purified a demon and made a fool of Rasa.

Human or not, the miko was not to be underestimated.

"Temari," Rasa peeked over his shoulder, scowling at the sight of his daughter and the miko. "I told the miko to get out of my sight."

"She insisted on coming to heal mom."

"So you take orders from a _human_?"

"When she has my mother's life in her hands? I don't see the problem."

Rasa's backs shuddered in anger. He turned fully, glaring hotly at the two women standing before him. Xin only huffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, for fuck's sake. Rasa, I just want to go home. Please move so I can heal Karura and then I'll be on my way. You won't have to worry about me after that."

Rasa crossed the room, leaning down until his face was mere inches from Xin's face. Temari grabbed at Xin's shoulder, ready to yank her backwards if she needed to be saved. "You're wrong, miko," he sneered down at her, baring sharp teeth at her. "You've done something to my son. Something tells me this won't be the last I see of you."

Xin had no comeback for that, admitting defeat by looking away with a stubborn set of her chin. She huffed for the second time and stepped around the older demon. She approached the large bed, settling down at Karura's bedside. The blonde demoness looked very much the same, deathly pale and exhausted looking. Rasa and Temari joined Karura and Xin, leaning over the two to watch over the healing.

Xin frowned sadly down at the woman, wondering what she'd done to deserve Masuyo's anger. She could only imagine how long she'd been suffering for. She almost felt guilty now, realizing it had probably been years and years. The miko reached forward, nails scraping against the demoness' chest. She cringed at the feeling of despair that washed over her. That definitely wasn't sickness radiating off of Karura. It was death, agony and despair. It was...horrible. She laid her hands flat against her chest, eyes closed in concentration.

Xin could see the dark energy poisoning Karura's body. Black tendrils twisted around her ribcage, hid under her organs and choked at her heart. Karura wouldn't have lasted much longer if she'd been left to fester, she realized. She wasn't particularly powerful but she would be enough to expunge the darkness from Karura.

So that's what she did.

The blunette leaned forward, feeding Karura her energy, pumping her to the brim with pure energy. Her energy fell into the demoness in a fluid stream, a distinct difference compared to the clumpy dark energy filling Karura. Purple energy surged through her, seeking out to destroy the pollution almost violently. It chased after the dark matter, twisting around and choking it. It bit, clawed and tore at the opposing energy, cleaning her insides almost immediately.

Blood began to gush from Xin's nose but she held fast, not finished. Temari nervously watched the scene, wanting to pull the miko away but not wanting to hinder the healing process. She and Rasa waited anxiously as Xin repeated the process several times.

And then it was suddenly over with Xin sitting back with an exhausted sigh. Sweat gathered at her brow and blood continued to pour from her nose but she couldn't feel any of the dark energy that once polluted Karura. She saved her, she saved a demon that meant nothing to her.

Karura suddenly sprang up, shocking all of them. Hunched over, she noisily gagged loudly. Dry heaving almost violently, she threw up chunks and chunks of dark matter into her lap. Temari and Rasa reeled back at the sight while Xin visibly cringed at the sight.

"Ew," she broke the silence first. She reached forward, hand outstretched to the mess in Karura's lap. With the last remaining bit of her energy, she purified the polluted sac. It was quiet once more as the foursome regarded each other. "Well, that was fun," Xin uttered while standing up, thoughtlessly wiping the blood from her nose. "You're healed Karura. Try not to piss off Masuyo again, yeah?" she muttered with a blank look.

She stepped away before anyone could say anything, deciding to give them time without her watching. She managed to get to the door by herself, resting her weight against it. Healing Karura quickly took its toll on her as it needed all of the energy she managed to save up. It wasn't much to begin with and she knew that but she promised to save the older demoness.

Xin opened the door and stepped out of the room, head spinning. She wanted to lie down and rest for a bit but hell if she would do that now that Temari was also occupied. Gaara had yet to show up and Jura wasn't around either. If she decided to take a catnap, who knows what she'd be waking up to.

Instead she pressed her back to the wall and slowly slid down. No one would try to kill her right outside of Karura's rooms, right? She sure as hell hoped not. Her head dipped forward, hands pressed to her face as she took deep breaths. She was so focused on breathing that she didn't hear the quick footsteps coming her way nor did she hear them come to an abrupt halt in front of her.

Hands wrapped around her biceps, nails threatening to sink into her skin. She heard muttering before she managed to pull her hands away from her face. Head heavy with exhaustion, it almost bounced off the wall when she managed to sit up properly.

Golden eyes stared back at her, startling her enough that she pressed backwards against the wall. It took her a minute to realize that the golden eyes belonged to none other than Gaara. She remembered very vaguely that his eyes were golden when he argued with Jura in the bakery.

"Oh, Gaara…" she sagged against the wall. "It's great to see you, you know, we haven't gotten the chance to really talk. Now that you're here, I can finally ask: just what the fuck took you so long?"

Gaara let out a dry laugh, not the least bit surprised. He uncurled one hand from her arm, reaching up to swipe errant locks of hair out of her face. "I'll explain things," he reassured her, tucking hair behind her ear. She didn't look convinced, a soft frown marring her lips. Quietly, she shrugged.

What was there even to explain? He and Matsuri were a clearly a thing, end of discussion. She didn't need him to tell her that, she'd seen it with her own eyes. He didn't have to explain anything to her, it's not like they'd been planning on an amorous relationship anyway. Besides, did she even want anything more with him? Look where having a simple friendship landed her. Right at Death's door. She could only imagine how everyone would react to a romantic relationship between them. They might just skip all of the torture and outright murder her ass.

But still...Xin stared at him with bleary eyes, dark lashes brushing against her cheeks when she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Your mom is okay…" she mumbled tiredly, reaching a hand up to touch his hand. At some point he pulled back only to cup her cheek, quietly accessing her bruised face. "I healed her."

"You...you actually healed her?"

"I did, tell her to stay the fuck away from Masuyo, yeah? That bitch is crazy."

Gaara continued to stare at her. He trusted Xin when she insisted on healing his mother but knowing that she'd actually done it...with no problems, he felt overwhelmed. His mother had been sick and suffering for years upon years and now suddenly she was...fine.

"You should go see her," Xin insisted, shifting around until she was slumped more comfortably. Truthfully, she wanted to get the hell out of there already but what's a few more minutes?

Before Gaara could say anything, Temari joined them in the hallway. She paused at the doorway, eyes quietly studying the two on the floor. "Rasa is coming," she murmured softly, warning Gaara away. He ignored her warning, staring straight at his father when he also joined the gathering.

"I want to speak to you," Rasa said slowly, looking impassive. "Alone," he cut his eyes at Xin. She, in turn, shrugged carelessly and slowly climbed to her feet with Gaara's help. Temari instantly reached for her hand, pulling her towards Karura's room once more.

"Mom wants to thank you.."

Xin looked over her shoulder at Gaara, noting that he and Rasa were looking at each other with a disdainful expression. Neither of them protested the notion of her talking to Karura and so she didn't say anything either.

Karura was now sitting up in bed, propped against what had to be damn there a thousand pillows. Xin thought it was a bit excessive but hell if it was any of her business. She looked more alert but exhausted at the same time. Xin could understand, throwing up a polluted sac of shit tended to do that to a person.

Her eyes seemingly brightened at the sight of Xin. "So this is the famous miko," she mused, voice sounding scratchy from years of disuse. Xin tried not to cringe st the sound. "I understand that you're the one who realized the truth surrounding my illness."

"Well, it was coming from a place of experience," Xin replied as Temari helped her to sit down. Maybe she was underestimating just how tired she was. Maybe she should have demanded that Gaara take her the fuck home already. "Masuyo is a vindictive witch, isn't she?"

"I would say she's more than vindictive," Karura commented dryly. "But let's not talk about that woman now. Let's talk about you. I think it's right to assume that your stay here wasn't pleasant, seeing as how you literally jumped out of the window," Karura pointed out, glancing towards the window Xin had escaped from. Xin's mouth curled but she said nothing. "I would like to know why you healed me regardless of how Rasa treated you."

Xin shifted, eyes dropping to her lap. She picked at her skirt almost childishly, like she was embarrassed. "Well...it's the right thing to do, I think. Sometimes it's better to rely on the kindness of strangers."

She was pretty sure that she pulled that particular quote from a movie or song but it wasn't like either women knew that.

Karura blinked, rolling the quote around in her head. "You're far wiser than I originally thought," she said after a long moment, eyes twinkling.

"She can't be that wise since she jumped out of a window," Temari rolled her eyes, arms crossed stubbornly.

"You sound concerned, Temari," Xin mused, tilting her head up to look at the taller blonde. She looked back at her, brows furrowed in thought and looking completely like Karura. It was odd to see, Xin pursed her lips but didn't say anything about it.

"Just making an observation, is all."

Karura shifted a little, sighing heavily. "I've been told during one of my bouts of delirium that you're rather close with my youngest son. That's...hard to believe."

Xin rubbed at the back of her neck, shrugging almost helplessly. "I mean...he doesn't hate me.."

The older demoness hummed in thought. "I see...well, in any case," Karura suddenly leaned forward, her expression shifting into something hard. "My son is not an easy man to deal with, I'm sure you know. What's worse is that you're human."

Xin wasn't sure if she liked how the word 'human' rolled off of Karura's tongue. It sounded..fragile coming from her. Temari glanced at Xin, frowning softly. Maybe she didn't know Xin as well as Gaara or even Jura but the miko had shown that being just human did not stop her. In fact, she was convinced that if Xin honed her spiritual abilities, having the 'human' label wouldn't mean shit.

"I don't see what's so bad about it," Xin idly played with a lock of her hair, eyes falling on Karura. "I saved you from dying when no other demon could. I proved to your husband that I'm not as weak and helpless as he originally thought. So, really, what's worse about it?"

Karura's eyebrows were high on her forehead as she regarded the younger girl. She didn't know Xin, she knew next to nothing about her except that she was a human miko with an odd relationship with her son.

But...she liked her.

* * *

"You're an absolute moron."

Gaara glared at his father, deciding that acknowledging his statement was a waste of time. He didn't need anyone telling him that he was a moron. He was well aware of it.

"Of all the women to get tangled up with, you choose a human girl. A miko. Have you completely lost it? Do you understand how much of a hindrance she is to you? How she'll make you seem weak?" Rasa went off in full rant mode. Gaara didn't say much, knowing his father wouldn't let the matter go until he shared his thoughts. "Do you have any idea what it will do to your reputation? Think of your reputation, your respect. You're willing to throw it all away for some human girl? What is the matter with you? I should have killed her the moment Masaru dragged her in here."

"Clearly you wasted your efforts. You're losing your touch, old man," Gaara arrogantly folded his arms across his chest. He knew Rasa, he knew the games he played. He wanted him to get angry, to show emotion to prove that Xin was no good. He wanted to show Gaara exactly why Xin needed to die. "She's been here for three days and she's managed to make a fool out of you."

If looks could kill…

"Watch yourself, Gaara. It isn't too late to snap her flimsy neck."

"Like I haven't already tried…." Gaara muttered to himself, thinking of the several times he managed to get his hands around Xin's neck. "You really think mom would approve of you killing the one girl who actually saved her?" A shit eating grin pulled at Gaara's lips. Sure, he couldn't really talk some sense into Rasa but Karura was a force to be reckoned with. He was sure that once her energy was restored, she'd have some words for Rasa.

Rasa's lip curled at the sight of his son. "You little shit.." he spat distastefully, wondering when his son turned out to be such an asshole. "Listen here, boy, whatever dark little thought you've got brewing when it comes to that girl, you need to end it. She's a human miko, you're a demon. It's not meant to be. She will die because of you. Know that."

The door opened and out stepped Xin and Temari before any more could be said. Xin looked absolutely exhausted and like she could just drop at any given moment. Temari had a hand pressed to her lower back, ready for the miko to just drop. "Gaara, your mother is very lovely but can we go?" Xin asked, nearly swaying on her feet. "In case no one noticed, I just got my ass kicked for three days and used the last of my energy to pull a sac of polluted shit out of your mother."

The demons stared at her quietly but Xin stubbornly stood her ground. Gaara moved first, reaching for her only to pause when Rasa squinted harshly at her. "Know this, miko," he squared off with the smaller girl. "You have not won simply because you healed Karura. I cannot kill you at this moment but your time will come. Be ready."

Xin quietly stared up at Rasa, looking somewhat resigned. It looked as if she was now realizing why Jura tried so hard to warn her away from Gaara. It wasn't Gaara that was just dangerous, it was his entire _life_. "Steer clear of Masuyo," was the only thing she had to say. She wasn't going to argue with Rasa, arguing with the man only resulted in her getting punched and slapped. She didn't have the energy to argue with the stubborn demon.

Gaara grabbed her then, easing her away from Rasa. "I'll be back soon," Gaara said more to his sister than to his father. When she gave him a short nod, he turned away and finally led Xin away.

* * *

"Gaara, I said I wanted to go _home._ Why aren't you conjuring up one of those weird portals you're so fond of?" Xin griped impatiently. Gaara ignored her, carrying her easily through Suna. "And I'm capable of walking!"

Gaara glanced down at her, not believing her for a second. "You don't have any shoes on and you're exhausted," he reminded her with a blank look. "And what's up with the outfit, anyway?"

Xin let out a loud groan, thumping her head against his collarbone. She unfolded her arms and threw them around his neck, adjusting herself so that her face tucked into his neck. "Temari said it's all that would fit," she whined dejectedly, breath tickling his neck.

If his grip tightening bothered her, she didn't say so. "She definitely lied to you," Gaara grunted, getting further and further away from Central Suna. "And we're not going back to your realm until you're healed."

Xin pouted childishly, unknowingly pressing her lips to his neck. Gaara roughly readjusted her, causing her to sit up higher. She blinked at his movements, tilting her head back to look at him. "Am I too heavy?"

 _"No_."

Xin didn't say anything else, feeling the odd vibes radiating from him. She wasn't sure what she'd done to turn his mood but decided to just be quiet until they got to whatever he wanted to go.

"Just remember when I say this but we were completely against this," Gaara finally spoke up once they started up towards a house on the outskirts of the village. Xin only hummed, not sure what he was getting at. Gaara nudged the door until it swung open, stepping uninvited into the house. "Oi! I'm back!"

"Gaara, you can't just barge into someone's house like you own the place," Xin began reprimanding him as he carefully eased her onto her feet. He hummed distractedly, hand pressing to her lower back to keep her on her feet just in case she became woozy. She was oblivious to the hurried footsteps coming towards them, looking up when she heard a sharp gasp.

Hinata and Naruto stood in front of them, looking surprised and ecstatic at the same time. Xin blinked at the sight of her sister, numbly wondering why the hell Hinata was in the Demon Realm. "Xin, you look like absolute hell," Naruto spoke first, shattering the silence. Hinata turned sharply towards him, lips pursed at his comment. "What? Look at her, moonpie, she does!"

Xin turned too quickly to Gaara and stumbled a bit. His hand moved from her back to her arm, steadying her as the room spun. "Gaara...what the hell is Hinata doing here?" she snapped once the room stopped spinning. He pulled her more towards him, allowing her to lean the majority of her weight against him. "Don't you realize how dangerous that is?" she continued as if he wasn't basically holding her up.

"Remember what I said? We were completely against this but _your_ headstrong sister threw herself into a portal after we left."

"She did what?"

"She threw herself—Xin, are you alright?"

Xin's eyes began to flicker almost erratically and her eyelids began flickering just as fast. Hinata and Naruto turned back towards the two, expressions creased in worry as Xin pulled away from Gaara. She closed her eyes hard, breathing heavily. "I...uh..I.." she stuttered over her words. "I'm...fine...I'm fine..." she managed to piece together. Xin took one more step and then promptly dropped to the door.

"Xin!"

* * *

TeeBeMe:...least they're all reunited, right? Bebop and Rocksteady are references to the mutants in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, lol one of my favorite cartoons growing up.

Hope you guys enjoyed.


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